


Revelations

by MamaBear226



Series: Against All Odds [2]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, And then more angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, F/M, Future Fic, Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV) Wing Reveal, Porn With Plot, Shameless Smut, So much angst, all the feels, so much plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-18 03:38:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 37,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18241610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamaBear226/pseuds/MamaBear226
Summary: Having just unknowingly shared a night of unabashed pleasure with the devil himself, OFC Lynne is in for the surprise of her life…





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I thought it would be fun to explore the impact of a wing reveal from my original character's perspective and how Lucifer may try to approach it now that he's a little older and a little wiser. 
> 
> For those that haven't read the first work, my head canon is that this takes places ~5 years after the S3 finale. Deckerstar eventually imploded for reasons I haven't quite figured out yet, but the experience had a lasting impact on Lucifer, albeit somewhat subconsciously.
> 
> I'm still pretty new at this, so all feedback and constructive criticism is welcome!

Lynne's sweet slumber was rudely interrupted by an overwhelming urge for a different kind of release than she had experienced a couple hours ago. She cursed her bladder as she slowly opened her eyes and reached up to lift the comforter so she could slip out without waking Lucifer, who was softly snoring beside her.

Something about the blanket felt different than it had the night before- it was much softer than the silky fabric that had lain against her skin when he had tucked her in last night, almost fluffy. One of the down feathers gently poked into her palm as she grabbed the edge. _Hmm_ , she thought to herself as her eyes slowly opened. _Maybe he just took off the duvet cover while I was sleeping? We did make quite a mess of it this morning…_

As her sight gradually came in to focus, she realized it was a blanket of actual feathers, softly glimmering as the rays of sun peeking through the curtains shone across them. She lay there momentarily, mesmerized by their beauty. As her brain slowly began to process what she was actually looking at, her adoration quickly turned to shock. _What the actual fuck?!_ Her eyes followed the lines of the feathers to the middle of Lucifer's shoulders. They shifted subtly as his body slowly stirred and her jaw dropped.

She shot up from the bed and stumbled into the nightstand, knocking a lamp over in her panic. _Are those…_ She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times. _Oh my god they're fucking WINGS! HOW DOES HE HAVE WINGS?!_ Frozen in disbelief, all she could do was stand there dumbfounded as Lucifer rolled over towards her and lifted his head.

"Everything ok, love?" he asked as his eyes opened. "I thought I heard-" He saw the look of shock on her face and sat up quickly, his wings knocking the other lamp over in the process, and suddenly realized what she was staring at. “Oh, bloody hell," he said as he stood up and began to walk over to her. "My apologies, darling, they have a mind of their own sometimes. I never meant to-"

As he came closer, Lynne unconsciously took a few steps back. "It's all… You're… Oh fuck... I can't... I need to pee!" She turned and practically ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Lucifer stayed where he was and stared at the door, stunned by the events that had just taken place. He rolled his shoulders, sending his wings back to their resting place, and smacked his forehead. _You bloody fool! You let your guard down for a moment, lost control, and seemingly just ruined another human's life. Will you EVER learn?!_

He felt an overwhelming urge to escape, to run away from the mess that he had created, but he knew better than to give in to it. _A load of bloody good that did last time..._ He needed to stay, deal with the aftermath, and help her through it. He needed to be strong enough for both of them. He also needed something to occupy his mind to keep the urge to flee at bay while he waited.

He grabbed two robes from his closet and carefully crept towards the bathroom. He hung one on the doorknob as silently as he could so as not to scare her and put the other one on as he walked to the kitchen to grab a broom and dustpan.

He returned to his room and began cleaning the mess of the broken lamps, grateful for a task to focus on instead of the dread he felt rising in him as he wondered what was going through Lynne's head right now.

* * *

 Lynne washed her hands as she began to process what just happened now that her mind was a little more clear. _Wings. He has WINGS. They were GLOWING for fuck's sake! He has ANGELIC WINGS._ "How?!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking the silence and echoing throughout the tiled room.

She stared at herself in the mirror as if her reflection might provide some answers. "He's… Oh my god. I seriously just spent the night with… Oh my god, God! I'm so sorry! I just... With your… And he's the… Oh, God. This is _so_ far beyond any mortal sin!"

She shook her head and returned her gaze to mirror, needing to face herself as the weight of her guilt began to crush her. "Does it count if I had no idea going into this? Do I still go to hell for just lust and adultery? What am I saying, of course I do because YOU'RE REAL. IT'S ALL REAL. You’re not just some mysterious higher power, you're actually God. And Lucifer is… Holy shit. Fuck! I can't stop swearing! At God! There's another broken commandment to add to the list…"

She barely recognized the person she saw staring back her, sheer desperation in her eyes as she begged for contrition. "Please God, don't smite me right away, my daughter needs me. Give me time to go to confession and make things right if that's even possible at this point, or at least put together a contingency plan or something. My sister always wanted another kid… Oh my god. God! What have I done?! I'm so sorry, I truly am, please hear me! Look within my soul and please believe me!” She rested her hands on the sink and hung her head. “Oh God… I'm talking to myself in a mirror. Is this all really happening, or have I just officially gone off the deep end? Is my penance a lifetime in the loony bin? Maybe I'll like it there, find peace in the tranquility..."

Her mind was spinning out of control. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself and sat down on the floor, leaning against the most glorious tub she had ever seen. _Ok, at least I'm not talking into a mirror anymore. Step one back to sanity…_

She shivered and suddenly realized she was still stark naked. She looked around and found a big fluffy towel to wrap around herself. _Great, warm and cozy now, step two off the crazy train… Step three, think about this logically._ She took a deep breath. _Okay. I can do this. Channel my inner Spock._ Flashbacks of many Star Trek binges ran through her head and she desperately searched for some logical advice.

> _"In critical moments, men sometimes see exactly what they wish to see."_

“Well, Mr. Spock, I don't think it was a critical moment, nor did I wish to see fucking ANGEL WINGS, but it _was_ a long night. A glorious night, even. I haven't come that hard in, well, ever. Maybe lack of sleep combined with all that oxytocin messed with my mind and I was just seeing things?

Plausible, but highly unlikely. I don't think it makes you straight up hallucinate…

Maybe it was a really good parlor trick? No, he seemed shocked by their appearance too, so scratch that idea…

Some kind of freaky subdermal implants that malfunctioned? I'm no expert, but I don't believe body modification technology has progressed far enough for that kind of thing. Besides, they were easily 12 feet across- where would he even fit them without looking like some kind of Quasi Moto on steroids?”

She sighed in frustration. “Oh, my dear Vulcan, there is no logic to be found here! What have you got for me now?”

> _"An ancestor of mine maintained that if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the solution.”_

“Both Holmes _and_ Spock can't be wrong… So that's it, then. Highly improbable, but not impossible, I guess. He's an angel. A fallen angel, walking amongst us on earth. THE fallen angel. Lucifer ‘literally god-damned’ Morningstar, whose bathroom floor I am currently sitting on whilst talking to myself.”

She hung her head in her hands and began to laugh. She laughed and laughed until her sides hurt and her laughter had turned to tears. Her tears slowly turned into waterfalls running down her cheeks. "Oh God, if you're still listening, if you even care about me anymore, I need your help. All my years of Catholic school did not prepare me for this scenario! Please! Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can. The wisdom to know the _fucking_ difference! I beg of you!"

The voice of her inner Vulcan returned. _God doesn't answer, Lynne, at least not in the way you want right now. He's not just gonna appear in this bathroom as some shining orb, nor is any voice is gonna come thundering down from the sky and tell you exactly what to do. He doesn't roll like that. You're on your own here._

Alone and afraid, she curled up into a ball and wept, desperate for an answer to her prayers.

* * *

 Having cleaned the mess, changed his sheets, and reorganized the entire layout of his closet, Lucifer was out of distractions. He was tempted to check in on Lynne, but if history taught him anything, it was that he needed to give her time and space to work through her shock, and the next steps needed to be on her terms and hers alone.

He couldn't quite fathom why he felt such a strong sense of responsibility and protectiveness over her. This wasn't the first time a human had seen his wings, nor even the first random lover that he had only just met. When his wings had first come back, he had almost no control over them. More often than not, witnesses were either too high, too horny, or too daft to think twice about them, brushing them off as some sort of kink or easily able to believe they were just seeing things. Yes, his true self had even inadvertently broken a mind or two along the way, and yes, he harbored some guilt about it, but…this was different. She was different. _HE_ was different.

Perhaps he had matured, having learned some very difficult lessons throughout this decade spent in his self-proclaimed purgatory, trying to fit in amongst his father's "greatest creation" and make a life for himself. Perhaps he was attempting to assuage the guilt and pain that still gnawed away at him from his greatest mistakes. Perhaps he was just trying to prove to himself that he could handle things right this time around. That he was good. That he was worthy.

He needed something to ground him and quell the fear and dread from his mind, his heart, his soul. He walked into his foyer and resisted the instinctive urge to sit down at the piano, not wanting to disturb her. Instead he opted for his phone, scanning through countless songs until finding one that felt right. A quietly haunting chorale filled the silence as he made a pot of coffee.

While he waited for it to percolate, he walked over to the bookcase and mindlessly ran his fingers along the spines, softly humming along as the fervency of the melody rose and washed over him, filling his soul with a tentative sense of hope and a tiny sliver of the peace he so desperately sought.

The scent of fresh coffee filled his nostrils, breaking the wave of emotion cresting inside him and he grabbed a random book to distract himself with. He walked back to the counter and poured himself a cup. Thinking optimistically, he left a second mug on the counter beside the carafe before sitting down on his couch to read.

* * *

Lynne continued to weep as she heard a haunting orchestral piece softly playing from the other side of the door. She felt a calming warmth gently wrap around her soul as she lost herself in the euphony of it, recognizing the score. The familiarity began to ground her as her mind filled in the lyrics.

> See my shadow changing, stretching up and over me.
> 
> Soften this old armor.
> 
> Hoping I can clear the way by stepping through my shadow
> 
> Coming out the other side.
> 
> Step into the shadow.

"Forty-six and two just ahead of me…" she sang softly, finding strength in the hope those words promised. Her sobs slowly tapered off and her mind finally began to clear. She took a few deep breaths and focused on her next step.

 _I can't just hide in here forever. He's an eternal being. Forever is LITERALLY forever to him. And I have a life waiting for me beyond that door, a little girl who needs her mom. I can't just descend into madness or run for the hills. I am a strong ass woman who has weathered tougher storms. This will NOT break me. I have two whole days to get my shit together. I can do this._  

She took another deep breath. _Ok. Last step back to sanity? Come up with a plan to get out of here in one piece._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song- "Forty-Six & 2" by Tool; lyrics credited to Maynard James Keenan. An orchestral cover of it by Vitamin String Quartet came on as I was writing and it was just too perfect not to use given the meaning behind the song! If you're interested in hearing the version that inspired me, check out Forty-Six & 2 - The String Quartet Tribute to Tool's Aenima


	2. Chapter 2

Lucifer lost track of how much time had passed before he heard the bathroom door slowly open, followed by Lynne's footsteps down the hall. After a few panicked seconds of indecisiveness, he chose to remain as he was, pretending not to hear her as she gathered her clothes from where they landed last night, and mentally prepared himself to let her leave without a word if she so chose. He was surprised to hear Lynne's footsteps coming towards him but kept his head down despite desperately wanting to acknowledge her presence. _I need to be strong enough for both of us right now._

She placed herself in the armchair across from him and cleared her throat to get his attention. He looked up and his breath caught as he took sight of her. There was something beautiful about the way her messy curls sprang from her head, sunlight shining through the golden-brown strays like a halo. He was pleased to see she had found the robe he left for her and admired the way the silk clung to her curves. The gentle shake of her left knee had caused it to fall back beside her leg, giving him an enticing glimpse of her thigh. His tongue brushed across his lips as his eyes traced the line of her leg upwards.

 _Bloody hell, get yourself together. The last thing she wants right now is to be eyed like some kind of dessert platter by the devil of all people..._ His eyes shot up and locked onto hers. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and a flash of sorrow shot through his heart as he thought of how much mental anguish she had suffered and likely still was, because of him. But he also saw a strength in her eyes that he found somewhat promising.

She stared at him steadily for a few moments, and it was clear she was struggling to come up with the right words to say. He did his best to appear as unassuming and timid as he could, eager to put her at ease, but soon felt the gravity of her gaze weighing on him. Her eyes darted towards the carafe on the bar and mug beside it, momentarily relieving him from his growing discomfort.

"This might be better with some coffee in my system. May I?" He nodded and gestured for her to help herself, watching closely as she poured a cup, fumbled around in his fridge looking for some milk to splash inside, and returned to her place across from him. She re-adjusted the robe and made herself comfortable again before taking a few large sips with shaky hands. "Ahh," she closed her eyes and sighed. "Much better, now, thank you."

She took a deep breath as her eyes returned to his. Her legs trembled and her voice was shaky as she spoke. "So… I'm not sure where to even begin here. I have no idea how much experience you have with this sort of thing, if it's a normal occurrence or I'm the first hu… per…. Either way, you can imagine it's a _lot_ for someone to take in." Lucifer nodded in agreement and took a sip from his mug, trying to hide the look of disgust as the taste of cold, stale coffee touched his tongue. He desperately wanted to get up and refill it with bourbon, but didn’t want to interrupt her train of thought.

She smiled briefly, and her voice slowly grew steadier as she continued. "To be perfectly honest, I had every intention of just walking right out and pretending that this whole night was just some sort of crazy dream. A far-fetched lie and certainly not sustainable, but it seemed the easiest path for me right now. But I know myself…”

Lynne sighed and curled the warm mug in her hands for comfort and strength. "The lie would never stick, and I would likely drive myself crazy overthinking it all… I had resolved to figure out a more long-term solution when I got home, but as I walked away I turned to look at you one last time. I needed one good glimpse of Satan incarnate before leaving to spend eternity in reconciliation, trying to maintain my sanity.” She sighed again. “And I saw you, _really_ saw you. A man with pain in his eyes, and guilt, and shame, not some evil being eager to corrupt my soul. You were just sitting here, a man trying desperately to lose himself in a book, more than willing to let me leave quietly and with dignity, and I just couldn't walk away. I needed to face this head on. Face _you_ head on. And so here I am. Drinking coffee with Lucifer 'LITERALLY God-damned' Morningstar, trying to make sense of it all."

Lucifer stayed silent, unsure how to proceed. This was foreign territory for him, and he didn’t want to mess it all up. Again. Lynne took another sip of her coffee and sighed deeply. "Real talk, Lucifer…  Honesty is one of the most important things in the world to me, and you've been nothing but truthful with me from the get-go, whether or not I believed you. That alone earns a high amount of respect for you as a, well, whatever you are, so I want to give you the benefit of the doubt instead of just running out of here screaming towards the nearest church."

Lucifer stifled a chuckle of the thought of her running down the streets of LA in nothing but his robe screaming about the devil. He cleared his throat and finally spoke. "Honesty is of the utmost importance to me as well, Lynne, despite what you may have heard. I greatly appreciate your respect and willingness to take a leap of faith here with me." He winced and cursed himself for such a poor choice of words right now.

She laughed at his unintended irony. "Yeah, I guess this is all about faith, isn't it?" Her voice got more serious as she continued. "So… you're the devil. King of temptation and sin. And I just spent the entire night with you giving into it all, enjoying every last second of it in my ignorant bliss. I took that apple you offered me without giving it so much as a second thought, and I finally understand what Eve must have felt like after…" she shook her head in disbelief. He fought the overwhelming urge to correct her or go on a rant about his sullied reputation and let her continue.

She leaned back into the chair, steadying herself. "There's a lot to unpack there… But I'm not quite ready to do so just yet, nor do I wish to delve into the impact my actions have on my eternal soul. Lord knows I spent enough energy on that earlier…” She sighed and shook her head again. “I need to focus on something else right now, something a little less intense and overwhelming."

She took another sip of her coffee. "You know, crazy as it may be, this whole revelation hasn't completely shattered my personal belief system. I was actually pretty shocked that it didn’t, but the more I think about it the more sense it makes. I've always believed, deeply within my soul, in a higher power, and happen to refer to that higher power as God. It's how I was raised, it's how I find peace, it's how I make sense of the universe around me and don't go crazy trying to figure out why we're all here and what it all means. I found it almost… comforting, I guess, to have my core beliefs validated."

Lucifer literally bit his tongue to refrain from commenting and did his best to appear accepting and empathetic as she continued. "I also believe that the Bible is divinely inspired, but at the end of the day it's a book written by man. It's not necessarily an infallible source of information and is certainly not God's literal instruction manual for us. I don't know if you ever read it but it's _super_ contradictory to the point where it's almost kind of hilarious.” He smiled and nodded. “At any rate, I’ve always seen it as sort of a guide on how not to be a terrible person. At the end of the day, that's all His teachings really boil down to for me- do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s ridiculously simple when you think about it, and I just don't understand how that message gets so grossly distorted by people. It's pretty infuriating, actually, and puts a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to organized religion."

He raised his eyebrows in a knowing way but let her continue without comment. "Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say here is some of the things I think I know about you may be true, but it's basically like an eons-long game of telephone and facts are bound to get mixed with fiction. Maybe we can go down that road in the future and sort it all out, but quite frankly it's just too much for me to think about right now and I have to simply focus on the facts. So what do I know to be true about the, err, man sitting in front of me?"

Lucifer’s eyebrows shot up again. “Oh, do tell, darling, I’m all ears.” He crossed his legs, placing an elbow on his knee and resting his chin on his hand as he leaned towards her, eagerly awaiting her response.

She took another sip of coffee as she eyed him carefully. "Let's see… He's honest, he's shown me nothing but kindness and respect, he's incredibly handsome and charming and, uh… talented.” A faint blush rose to her cheeks. “He gave me a night I'll never forget, and he gave me the space and time I needed when I needed it most."  Lucifer couldn't help but smile smugly at her accolades.

Lynne smiled back at him weakly. "Those are all great things, for sure, but I also have to think back to how I felt before this whole revelation. No offense, but I genuinely didn't walk into this penthouse with any expectations beyond a memorable night. When I woke up the second time, just before I saw…” She shook her head and turned her gaze towards the skyline. “I was perfectly content with, and quite frankly preferred to have just a whirlwind night, possibly weekend, with the hottest man I’ve ever met. I'd leave here, go back to my boring routine of work, mom, sleep, repeat, for the next however many decades and have a nice memory to look back fondly upon when I'm old and gray. I never in a _million_ years ever anticipated this little dalliance would turn into some mind-blowing experience necessitating this huge soul-searching conversation, but here we are. So what do we do now?"

She turned back and looked at him expectantly, and he was surprised to not have an immediate response. “To be perfectly honest, darling, I'm not quite sure…” He ran his fingers across the stubble of his chin as he pondered her question. "This isn't the first time someone has seen them, but certainly a unique situation on my side as well. I take great care to avoid this type of thing, and honestly would never have shown you that side of me on purpose. My wings just kind of… happen sometimes when I'm feeling an extreme emotion and not fully in control of my body.”  He flashed her a devilish grin. “I suppose after your rather erotic wakeup call - which was marvelous, by the way, what a way to start the day! - I must have fallen asleep without noticing they had appeared. You were rather spent as well – no need to thank me – and must have mistaken them for a blanket. That was a first for me, they’ve never been used for that purpose, and I rarely sleep so soundly, especially when there’s someone in my bed…”

Lynne nodded and did her best to ignore his somewhat arrogant excuses and put herself in his shoes. "That makes sense, I suppose. I can't really relate, but I can imagine what it must be like to have to hide such a big part of yourself no matter the reasons why and that seems like an awful way to have to live and feel. Please know that I'm doing my best to empathize with you here on that, I truly am…"

She took a deep breath. "So it was a fluke, unplanned by anyone, but the reality is it happened. I've seen them. I'm now _fully_ aware that all of this is real.” She spread her arms and motioned dramatically before throwing them up in the air, sighing deeply as her hands returned to her lap. “I'm trying _so incredibly hard_ not to freak the fuck out while also having to try and balance that bombshell of revelation with a _very_ premature and equally unanticipated 'where are we going from here' discussion, which is super fucking awkward even under normal circumstances. The intensity of it all is almost maddening! So I'll ask you again- what do we do now?"

Lucifer gave her an apologetic look. "I agree, it's quite overwhelming, and I can't even begin to try and comprehend how much more so it must be for you. I wish I could help, or tell you what to do, but you're the only one here who can make that decision."

She took another deep breath and tried to calm the fire of emotions stirring inside of her.  "Listen... I've faced some ridiculously crazy and overwhelming things in my life and didn't let them knock me down. A good chunk of my job is dealing with high-stress and high-impact situations and figuring out how to fix them while talking myself and others off the proverbial ledge. I'm pretty fucking well-equipped to deal with just about anything life throws at me."

Her voice began to rise along with her pulse. "But this? You? This massive clusterfuck I find myself in right now? It's some _next-level_ shit and to be perfectly honest I'm at the end of my _fucking rope_ here!” He shot her another apologetic look as he shrugged and shook his head, unable to think of anything to say that would help her. “Seriously, Lucifer? Come the _FUCK_ on! I need you to give me something more helpful than 'I'm not sure' or 'it was an accident'. Put on your big boy pants and throw me a fucking lifeline already!”

His mouth opened and closed a few times as he struggled to find a response. She rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. “Come on, tell me, Lucifer 'oh whoops-a-daisy, I forgot to tell you I'm ACTUALLY SATAN HIMSELF before spilling my demon seed inside you' Morningstar. Tell me, Mr. 'I've lived for eons upon eons and still don't have any common fucking sense'. Tell me! _WHAT THE FUCK DO I NOW?!_ " She was practically panting from her outburst, and threw her head back into the chair, closing her eyes as she tried to steady her heart rate. She turned and looked out to the skyline as if one of the billboards would somehow flash an answer to her question.

Lucifer took a deep breath, the rage and desperation of her words piercing into his soul, which was already awash with a heady mix of anger and guilt. He took another deep breath to calm himself. _I have to be strong enough for both of us right now._ He knew nothing he could say could fix this mess, but he tried anyway. "I'm deeply sorry, Lynne, please believe me. I didn't mean to cause any of this for you. I _did_ tell you, you just didn't-"

She shot him a venomous look and he braced himself for her onslaught. _Whatever's coming, she clearly needs to get it out of her system, and I probably deserve it. I have to be strong enough for the both of us right now._

Lynne's voice was low and chilled him to the core. "Don't. You. _DARE_ try and act like you bear no fault in this, Lucifer. You walk around all gorgeous with your perfect hair and perfect suits and perfect smile and that perfect _fucking_ accent that makes everything you say sound quaint and charming..."

She put her hands out, pinkies up, and tried to sound just as cocky as he does. "Oh, deary me, I'm Lucifer Morningstar, _dahhhhling_ , I own this club and I'm just so very posh, care for a shag? I assure you, love, it'll be a _hell_ of a night" She winked dramatically, and he used every ounce of self-control he had left to not laugh at her impersonation.

"Seriously, Lucifer? Who the fuck would ever truly believe that you're _actually_ the devil? Reality check, Beelzebub. People just assume the name is part of your whole 'brand', that you're just one more fake-ass beautiful person out here in LA trying to seem 'special'. You're either a complete narcissist or a fucking _idiot_ trying to fool yourself into thinking you can just get off on a technicality by telling the truth when you know _full well_ nobody actually buys that horseshit you're trying to sell them. THAT STILL COUNTS AS LYING, you cocky bastard. And if you don't believe it does, then go ask your Father. Oh wait, _YOU CAN'T,_ because he kicked you out! Probably because all you _fucking_ do is _LIE_!"

Lynne looked at him with bated breath, waiting for him to come back with another flimsy excuse so she could lay into him again, expecting to see some of that anger and rage he's known for, but all she saw on his face was defeat. The pain in his eyes shot straight through to her heart and she knew she had gone too far. She desperately wanted to run over and hug him, kiss him, cradle him, anything to make his anguish go away, but she knew she couldn't and didn’t dare try. Lucifer took a deep breath and tried to hold back the flames that were threatening to creep into his eyes as her words cut him to his very core.

"I'm sorry, Lucifer, I crossed a line. Many lines. I didn't… I'm just… Fuck, I don't know what I am right now. Scared, angry, regretful, confused… I'm like so far beyond any ability to comprehend my emotions let alone reason with them.” She sighed in frustration. “Maybe I'm just trying to take the easy way out, hitting the self-destruct button or trying to goad you into kicking me out of here so I can just walk right out and not have to face all these emotions or decisions. So I can just blame you for everything and call it a day. Either way, I never should have said such hurtful things. That's not fair to anyone, devil or not, and I’m so sorry for doing that."

He took a few more deep breaths to calm his rage. _I have to be strong enough for both of us right now._ "I've made many mistakes in my time, Lynne, I assure you, and I carry the weight of them with me every day. And it may not be fair, but I am accustomed to bearing the burden of blame for things beyond my control. Every little thing that goes wrong, every poor decision that's been made since that _bloody_ apple, every sicko and psychopath claiming 'the devil made me do it' when _they're_ the one that's truly evil…" He took another deep breath and sighed. "I'd be lying if I said it was fine, that being blamed for everyone's mistakes since the dawn of humanity didn't hurt or eat away at me, but I've at least grown somewhat used to it. If that's what you need to do to survive and move on, so be it. I'll bear you no ill will."

He looked down in sorrow and she couldn't help herself now. "Please forgive me," she said as she got up and walked over to him. Relieved he didn't recoil from her, she sat down and pulled him towards her, squeezing him tightly. He inhaled sharply as his body stiffened and his arms remained at his sides. "Sorry, you just looked like you needed a hug..." She let go of him and sat back so she could look him in the eyes as she continued. "Blaming you won't help me, I know that much at least. And I'm sorry for trying to pass my pain and burdens on to you when you have more than enough of your own to bear."

He rubbed his temples and sighed. "You've every right to be angry with me, Lynne. And you're right about me fooling myself with that little loophole… It hurts to hear it said out loud, and I certainly could have done without that comment about my father, but you're right. It's a truth I know deep down but can't quite bear to face every day, so I withhold it from myself and just about everyone around me. And most of the time it's fine, I can walk around like some 'cocky bastard' and live a life full of pleasure with no consequences. Until there are. And then that truth is front and center and I have to face it head on, have to find a way to reconcile it with people I care about. Reconcile it with myself."

He sighed and shook his head as he continued. "It's a vicious cycle, and I've nobody to blame but myself. I'd love to break it, but tell me Lynne. Honestly. What are my options? I certainly can't walk around in my true form. Human minds aren't built to handle the full reality of divinity. I'm rather amazed at the strength of yours, really, most people end up turning into drooling fools when they've witnessed it, and precious few move beyond that stage. But I've _no_ interest in returning to where I came from. I left for a reason. So do I stay here as is and leave a wake of destruction in my path? Do I take one for the team and return to a life I despise? Or do I do something I despise in order to try to live a life I enjoy and hope to Dad I don't hurt anyone in the process? Tell me, Lynne, what would you have me do?”

"I don't know…" she said softly.

"And neither do I. But here I am, drinking coffee with Lynne 'I don't know her middle name yet' Gardner, trying to make sense of it all." He smiled at Lynne and was relieved to see her return one. "But this isn't about me right now, nor should it be. You asked me for a lifeline. Would it help if I put on a red Speedo and ran down the beach in slow motion?”

Lynne chuckled. “Nah, your hair isn’t quite bouncy enough to get the full effect…”

“Well, that’s a pity, I would look _quite_ fetching in a Speedo…”

“Oh, I have no doubt you would…” She leaned back into the cushions and sighed. "I honestly have no idea where to even start to figure out what I should do about all of this. Maybe we can go back to focusing on what we _do_ know. What exactly is it that you want from me?” She shook her head. “Actually, no, that's question's too loaded… What is it that you wanted before all of this happened?"

"Well, I hadn't quite written you off as a one-night stand as you so quickly did, though I greatly respect your approach. It's quite refreshing! Normally I have to politely force my lovers to leave, and have broken quite a few hearts over the years I’m afraid… I suppose I was interested in more of a ‘give it a whirl for a day or two, see how it goes’ type of thing. I'm not really a big 'plan out the future' kind of guy. I mustn't have inherited that particular gene from dear old Dad."

Lynne laughed softly as he rolled his eyes. "Good to know… So where do you think I should go from here? Does this whole revelation change your perspective at all? 

His expression became more serious as he took her hands in his. "I'm sorry, Lynne, I know you don't want to hear this, but the choice is yours to make, love, and yours alone. That much I've learned from my past mistakes. I'm sorry that I caused you to even be in this situation to begin with, but it happened and nothing I say or do can change that. You are the only one who truly knows what it will take for you to eventually be at peace with all that you know now. I'm afraid I can't take that particular burden from you."

Lynne sighed in frustration. "You're right, but it would _really_ help if I had some indication of what you wanted to do right now."

He resisted the instinctive urge to make a sexual innuendo, knowing it was neither the time nor place for flirtation. "I just want you to have peace of mind again, whatever that may take. If you want to stay, you are more than welcome to, and I'd quite enjoy it. We can talk, we can shag, we can eat omelets, not necessarily in that order- we can do anything you'd like! If you want to walk out of here and never speak to me again, that's fine too. I've a lovely therapist I can put you in touch with to sort things out, she's a dear friend, quite talented and is aware of my whole… situation. She could be rather helpful to you. And if you still want to run screaming to the nearest church, well I certainly won't stop you but I can't guarantee I wouldn't watch and laugh as you run down the street in nothing but my robe."

Lynne smiled. "I think that last option's off the table, at least for now.” She sighed deeply. “You know, Lucifer, this would be a _lot_ easier if we could just go back to our little game from last night where you make all my decisions for me."

He raised an eyebrow and a smile crept across his lips as he recalled just how pleasurable that game had been and crossed his legs to hide the arousal those memories sparked. "If that's what you desire, then that's what I shall do. But we both know you'd need to go back to your normal routine eventually. You'd ultimately still need to decide how to move forward on your own."

"I know, you're right…" Lynne rubbed her temples. _It would be so easy to just put this off until later, but I don't know that I can. He's the fucking DEVIL, there's no way I can just pretend he's not and mindlessly bang him all weekend, that's a one-way ticket to Hell… Wait… If the devil's sitting on the couch across from me right now…_

She sat up straight. "Who's running hell right now? And why are you even here? HOW are you here?"

Lucifer was taken aback by the sudden change in conversation. "Cliff's notes version if I may?” Lynne nodded. “It's on a bit of an honor system right now, with oversight from a few of Dad's key generals. Came here for a vacation and ended up staying. Inter-dimensional travel via my wings."

Lynne found herself surprisingly okay with his answers and relaxed back into the sofa. "Hmm… makes sense, I guess. So… how about that omelet?"

 


	3. Chapter 3

The two of them got to work in the kitchen in their matching robes as if it were just a normal Saturday morning. Taking Lynne's lead, Lucifer found it easy to ignore the weight of the morning's revelation and focus on the task at hand, their surprisingly comfortable silence occasionally interrupted by questions about where ingredients or dishes were. Before they knew it, they were seated on the balcony, sipping mimosas and enjoying a delicious breakfast together.

"This is amazing, Lucifer. Tell me, did you learn to cook in Heaven or is food not a thing there? I've always wondered how that works, given the whole 'eternal paradise, wanting for nothing' deal I've heard they have going up there." Lynne said nonchalantly as she took another bite.

Lucifer nearly choked on his mimosa as he stifled a laugh. Not wanting to spoil their newfound peace by delving too much into reality of the Silver City or opening up his wounds to her, he simply said "It's more of something I've picked up along the way on my visits here."

Having detected his reluctance to share more than what she had directly asked and wanting to respect it, Lynne swallowed her bite and leaned back in her chair, enjoying the rays of sun shining down on her. The silence soon grew uncomfortable as more questions came to mind so she broke it, trying her best to keep the topic light. "So, you've been to Earth before your, uh, vacation? 

"Quite a few times. I like to check in every so often, see how things are going, take advantage of your latest inventions, beauties, pleasures, and the like." He smiled fondly as he gazed out over the LA skyline.

"Interesting…" She took another sip of her mimosa as she fought the urge go down that particular rabbit hole of stories at the moment. "So… can all angels come and go as they please or just you?"

"Yes, the ability is there, but the desire isn't. They typically only do so when sent here on some mission from dear old Dad."

Another rabbit hole appeared, and Lynne found herself falling in with no way to stop. "…Ok…. So… present company excluded, is some of what I've been told true then? That angels are God's warriors or messengers or whatever?"

Lucifer was visibly uncomfortable by her question. He finished his drink in one big gulp and poured another. "In a sense, yes, but it's a bit more complicated than that." He downed the glass completely and refilled it yet again.

"Complicated how?" The words just fell out of Lynne's mouth before she could stop them. Lucifer was obviously struggling with this topic, and she felt horrible for forcing the issue and risking pushing him too far, but she couldn't turn back now. She was genuinely interested, and if she was ever going to decide what to do, she needed to know more about all of this. About him.

Still, she felt she should at least try to give him an out if he needed one. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into an interrogation.” He winced at the word and she tried to soften her voice even more. “I know this topic is wicked personal and sensitive, especially since I'm basically a stranger to you. You really don't have to answer, I'll be fine. Promise."

Lucifer flashed her his brightest smile. "Not to worry, darling, you're far more than a stranger to me at this point, and I understand your need to know more. I'll answer anything you ask and answer truthfully. But there are things that are difficult for me to expound upon, so forgive me if I can't quite give all the answers you seek."

He took a deep breath as he thoughtfully considered his response to her question. _How much is too much to share? Which piece of this could send her back to her bathroom fortress, or worse, out the door? Why do I care so bloody much?_

"Angels are… Well it's nearly impossible to articulate, but I shall try. We are alike in many ways. We share similar… powers I guess you can say, common ancestry, we all play a part in Dad's greater plan and so on. We are all made in His image, humans alike as you've heard, so the form you see is the form I have, albeit with some extra add-on's. And before you ask, no, I don't have horns or a tail."

He forced a laugh to help break the tension and looked to Lynne's face, trying to gauge her reaction so far. She looked at him inquisitively, eager to learn more but happy to let him set the pace. _Lovely, haven't broken her yet. Here goes nothing…_

"There's different classes, or I guess generations of us, rather, but I won't get into all of that, we'd be here for ages. In essence, my siblings and I are… unique. We each have a distinct role to play or, more accurately, a purpose to serve, the likes of which are beyond our control or choice… We were all created with an engrained instinct and desire to serve our father as dutiful children, among other things. And we were each given certain attributes that support our 'greater purpose'." He was careful not to inject too much cynicism into that last phrase as he looked to her again.

He was happy to see Lynne nodding along, incredibly intrigued, and still not broken. "Like I said, it's all quite complicated, and I'd rather not discuss the details of our different purposes or attributes right now if you don't mind. Suffice it to say, dear old Dad was testing out his 'free will' theory while preparing for his 'greatest creation' and, well, yours truly ended up as the beta tester, the only one of us with both an inherent instinct to serve and be dutiful along a desire for… More..."

Lucifer's shoulders tensed, and he gazed out over the skyline, trying desperately to push back the wave of emotion that began to wash over him. He hadn't intended to tell her as much as he already did, but something about her made him feel safe enough to open up a little and once he did, he couldn't stop himself.

"This 'gift' my father so graciously bestowed upon me was a constant feeling of discontentment and inner turmoil that grew over eons until it became rather unbearable and nearly broke me. And this all-knowing, all-powerful father of mine couldn't see the flaw in His 'greater plan', He couldn't see that He had _made_ me to be this way, that it was because of _him_ I would _NEVER_ be at peace as a pawn in his eternal chess game. And instead of just accepting that, or, bloody hell, even just showing me an _OUNCE_ of that unconditional love he's so lauded for when I-" Lucifer felt embers burning in his core, slowly creeping up to his eyes and finally managed to stop his rant before he fell over the edge.

He was afraid to look back at Lynne, to see the impact his confession had had on her or worse. _Bloody hell. What am I doing? I'm supposed be strong enough for the both of us! She can't HANDLE the weight of my baggage right now! I can't DO THIS again!_ He felt her fingers' soothing strokes across his knuckles, but didn't dare turn back to her until he had fully calmed down. She certainly didn't need to see the flames he knew were in his eyes.

A few deep breaths later, he was able to meet her gaze again and found nothing but acceptance and genuine empathy in her eyes. It stirred something inside him he had never quite felt before, and the effect it had on him was almost stronger than his outbursts’. He shook the feeling off, straightening his back and focusing on projecting confidence and strength even if he didn't feel either right now. _I need to be strong enough for both of us._

He flashed her a dashing smile. "To answer your question, love, all angels have the ability to come and go as we please, but I am the first that desired to do so of my own accord. Would you like another mimosa, darling? We've about finished off this batch, but I can whip another one up if you'd like."

Lynne's heart ached for Lucifer, the pain and confusion and torment he's had to bear for millennia bringing tears to her eyes. She'd gotten what she needed to make her decision to stay longer, but deeply regretted pushing him so far down this path of memories to get it. All she could do now was push back her tears and take his lead, feigning normalcy despite all he had said and all she had learned. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I would love another one, thank you." 

 Lucifer rose from his chair and flashed her another bright smile. "As you desire," he said as he grabbed the empty pitcher and walked back into the penthouse to refill it.


	4. Chapter 4

They slowly finished their next round as they gazed up at the clouds overhead, feet up, heads back, each lost in thought but finding a calming comfort in their shared solitude. Lynne tugged on the sleeve of Lucifer's robe and pointed to a particularly interesting-looking cloud. "Lucifer, look! I swear that one is a pirate ship sailing through the sky on its way to Neverland!"

"I fear you are mistaken, darling, it's most certainly a submarine sent to explore the deepest depths of the ocean. Can your feeble human eyes not see that _glaringly_ obvious periscope?"

"You're both painfully wrong. It's totally a rocket ship headed to the sun on a kamikaze mission, duh." Lucifer and Lynne turned around in shock, so lost in the clouds that neither had noticed the leather-clad vixen that was standing in the doorway.

“Oh, it's you...” Maze scoffed. "She’s still here?" she asked Lucifer as she nonchalantly scraped dirt out from one of her fingernails with a dagger.

Lynne opened her mouth, ready to give her an equally rude response, but Lucifer laid his arm around her and scooted his chair closer to hers in an almost protective manner. "Her name is Lynne, and yes, she's still here. Honestly, Maze, must you be so caustic to my lovely guest?"

"Whatever…” Maze shrugged and began to clean another fingernail. "I need you downstairs. Some idiot's got a truckload of swill he's attempting to pass off as our normal stock and refuses to leave until he's paid. I can take care of him if you want, but I figured I'd be _‘nice’_ and come talk to you first," she said, practically spitting out the word.

"Why thank you ever so much my dear Mazikeen, you're an absolute gem," he responded, his voice thick with sarcasm. "I'll be down momentarily." She turned and sauntered off towards the elevator, giving him an unenthusiastic thumbs-up along the way.

Lucifer turned to Lynne. "I must apologize for her lack of manners, darling, she hasn't quite mastered the art of social interactions, and may never.”

Lynne shrugged. “It’s all good, I’ve got thick skin and can definitely appreciate someone with zero fucks to give.”

“I see…” Lucifer smiled as he stood up. “I hate to have to leave you right now, but alas, duty calls. It shouldn't take long, love. Are you okay… I mean will you still be…” He sighed. “It would be nice if we could continue our cloud debate when I return."

Lynne smiled up at him. "Of course! I’m dying to see the look on your face when you finally admit it's the Jolly Roger."

He got up and placed a tentative kiss on her forehead before heading inside. Lynne smiled as she watched him walk away, enjoying the view and giggling when she saw he didn't even bother to put on anything on under his robe before getting into elevator. He gave her a sly wink as the doors closed.

* * *

 

Lynne basked in the sunshine a few more minutes before deciding to make herself useful while she waited. She cleared the table and set to work on washing their dishes. She heard a buzzing sound coming from the floor near the piano and realized she hadn't checked her phone since she had left for Lux last night.

She picked it up and saw a dozen texts and 3 missed calls. _Oh shit, what if there was an emergency? There goes my mother of the year award…_ Thankfully it was just her friends checking in to see how her night had went, having gotten the full scoop from Marie that morning.

She wasn't quite ready to talk to them. How could she right now without giving away too much? She loved them dearly, but they could be a little intense at times. If they got even a hint that she wasn't 100% okay they'd be over here in an instant, barring down the door and ready to rain their own hellfire on Lucifer. She decided to take the safe route and shot a text to the group:

"Sorry, was too busy either sleeping or boning to check my phone ;) Still at Lux, probably gonna stay again tonight. Will give you all the deets when I'm home. <3"

She smiled as a flurry of raunchy comments and emojis filled the screen, then called to check on her daughter, and was relieved when Emily picked up instead of her grandmother. "Momma!! I'm at a farm! A real farm! There's goats and pigs and EVEN HORSES and I named them all and we're best friends and…" Lynne laughed along as she excitedly listed a dozen ridiculous names and shared stories of her farmland adventures.

"That sounds so amazing, babe! Glad you're having so much fun!"

"I love it here!!! Can I stay forever? You can come too! We can live next door to Grandma and Farfar and be real-life FARMERS!"

"No, my love, I'm sorry but I already have a job! And let's be honest, I wouldn't make a very good farmer, I hate waking up at the crack of dawn. The good news is you still have two whole days of adventures there ahead of you!"

“Ugh, fine.” Lynne could hear Emily’s eyes roll. “Oh wow, Admiral Snuffadoodle just jumped over a fence and is chasing RolyPoly into the stream! Gotta go! Love yo-" the call ended abruptly, and a few moments later she got a text:

"Sorry about that, I managed to save my phone before she dropped it into a puddle. She's having a great time, and so are we! She's such a lovely young lady, a pleasure to have around. You're doing a great job, Lynne. TTYL- Grandma C"

Lynne pinched herself in disbelief. _Where did THAT come from?_ Of course Emily was fantastic, but this woman had never shown her more than a strained acceptance that she existed. _Oh well, certainly not the strangest thing to happen today… I guess I'll just go with it._  

"Thank you so much, that means a lot. Glad you're all having such a great time, I'm so happy she has the opportunity to make awesome memories with you and Claus. I have no doubt she's cherishing every minute. Take care and call if you need me!"

 _Ok, that's all settled. Now what?_ She fought the urge to snoop through his penthouse- he had already shared so much with her, it wouldn't be fair to violate what privacy he had left. She did, however, look around the study until she found a phone charger then made her way to the bathroom and rummaged through his medicine cabinet, where she was delighted to find a brand-new toothbrush waiting for her. _Say what you will about the devil, but he is quite a thoughtful host…_

* * *

Feeling refreshed, she walked back into the foyer. She had noticed his wall-length bookcase the night before, but in the daylight it was nothing short of magnificent. Shelves upon shelves of leather-bound tomes, the rich shades of brown and red and green and blue blending together gloriously from floor to ceiling. _There’s even a ladder!_ Lynne had never seen an actual bookcase ladder in real life. _And that desk!_ Intricate carvings on gorgeous wood, a big comfy leather chair… It was the study Lynne had always dreamed of having. The only thing missing was a fancy globe, which she was sure he had lying around somewhere.

Lynne couldn't help channeling her inner Belle, humming "There's Something There" as she ran her fingers across the spines of the books that covered the walls, overwhelmed by the endless droves of adventures and knowledge at her fingertips.

She spotted an interesting-looking one high above her and climbed up the ladder to get a better look. When she came to the top, she noticed that it was on a track and was beyond thrilled to finally live out one of her childhood dreams. She began to sing out loud this time. "Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew…"

She went to give herself a gentle push as she sang the next line and frowned when she realized the ladder was stuck. She tried to wiggle it free but failed. Just then, the elevator dinged.

 "Making yourself at home I see?" Lynne blushed as Lucifer sauntered over, slightly embarrassed to be caught in this predicament and tried to come up with some rational explanation.

Lucifer made his way over to the ladder and stood under her. "My, my, this is _quite_ the view." Her cheeks turned from pink to red as she realized the only thing covering her was a scant robe and Lucifer was practically face to face with her most intimate areas. She began to climb down, and he gently placed his hand on the back of her thigh to stop her.

"Oh, please, do stay where you were. Don't let me interrupt your fun. Or mine," he said, making no effort to move his hand to a less compromising position. "Besides, I'm just _dying_ to know just who's covering what in chocolate with a miracle or two...”

 _Oh god, he heard me singing. Could this BE any more mortifying?_ Lynne looked down at him, and the desire in his eyes paired with a soft lick across his lips as they darted to her core sent a wave of lust through her, and a different kind of blush quickly spread throughout her body.

He squeezed her gently, his thumb dangerously close to the dampness that began to pool between her legs. Memories of his last time there began to flood her mind as her arousal grew stronger. _What is wrong with me? Seriously, how many mortal sins am I willing to commit in one day?_

Lucifer raised his eyebrows as if asking permission to move forward. Lynne wanted to let him, knowing the sheer ecstasy he was capable of giving her, desperate to get lost in his embrace again and forget everything for a while, but fought against it. She just couldn't let herself go there with him again so soon. Seeing the perplexity on Lynne's face, Lucifer timidly drew his hand back.

Lynne reached down and grabbed it. "I'm sorry, I want to, I really _really_ want to, it's just I… I'm not quite ready for that with you yet."

He squeezed her hand and smiled sweetly. "No apologies necessary, darling, it's quite alright. I tend to get ahead of myself sometimes. Besides, last night was all about fulfilling _my_ desires, it's your turn now. I'm fully in your service."

Lynne relaxed, relieved to hear he wasn't offended. She looked at the ladder, then back to Lucifer, and an idea came to her. "Well, there is one thing you could do for me right now, but you have to promise not to laugh or judge me."

Lucifer found himself quite intrigued. "Judgment has never been my role, love. What is it that you desire?"

Lynne sighed. "Ok, so there's something I've always wanted to do ever since I was a kid. It's weird and crazy and maybe I just watched Willy Wonka one too many times, but... Could you push the ladder for me? I tried to before you walked in, but I think it's stuck and I can't quite get the right leverage while I'm up here.”

Lucifer stifled a laugh at the randomness of her request. "I haven't seen it, so I can't quite determine what it is you're trying to accomplish. Nevertheless, I shall fulfill your request. Hold on tight," he said as he grabbed hold of the ladder and placed a hand on her lower back for support. "Here we go!" He gave the ladder a push and Lynne couldn't help but howl in delight as she soared across the bookcase.

 "That was incredible! Now if only I had some Wonka bars to throw to my adoring crowd…" She giggled as she began to climb down. Lucifer was instantly underneath her, picking her up and lifting her down the rest of the way. "Thank you!" she exclaimed as she hugged him. She tilted her head up and peered at him quizzically. "So you're telling me in all this time, and all these visits, you've never _once_ seen one of the most magical movies to ever exist?! You’ll have to rectify that situation sometime."

Lucifer scooped her up again and brought her to the couch, making sure she was settled in on the chaise before turning the TV on, smiling at the awe on her face as the screen descended from the ceiling and the windows darkened. "No time like the present, love. What's this movie called again? Willy Wonka?" he asked as he pulled up the search bar.

"And the chocolate factory. Eww, no, not that one, it's an abomination. That one there, with Gene Wilder. Perfect." Anticipating her next desire, Lucifer pulled out a large blanket made of the softest cashmere and laid it across her. "Anything else I can get you?" he asked, making sure to leave space between them on the couch as he sat down.

 _What the hell, if I'm gonna watch a movie with its former ruler I might as well go all in_. "I wouldn't mind a shoulder to lean on. For maximum comfort, of course."

Lucifer scooted next to her and brought his arm around her shoulders. "Consider me your personal not-quite human pillow." She nuzzled in as the credits began to roll and was surprised at how natural it felt to cuddle with him. He smelled so good, and the heat radiating from him made her feel even cozier. Between that and the wave of nostalgia from the screen, she didn't even make it to her beloved candy store scene before she had drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Lynne woke up with her head in Lucifer's lap, his fingers mindlessly playing with the hair splayed across his legs as the sound of Wonka shouting "I SAID _GOOD DAY_ " emanated from the TV. Lucifer scoffed. "Sure sounds a lot of dear old Dad… You tell him, Uncle Joe!"

Lynne didn't want to interrupt and spoil the ending, so she stayed as still as she could, watching as Mr. Cogsworth walked into the office and the test was revealed. Lucifer sighed deeply. "…Oh… Well this hits a little too close to home, that's enough of that nonsense..." he muttered under his breath as he turned the television off.

Lynne didn't want to open Pandora's box again, but made a mental note to ask him about that at a later date. _A later date? Geeze, don't start making plans for the future, Lynne. You've got two days with him, max. There's no way this would ever work long term so get the idea out of your head. NOW._

Feeling her stir, Lucifer removed his hand from her hair as if he was about to get caught committing some sin of intimacy. Lynne kept her head in his lap but turned onto her back and looked up to face him.

"Hi," she said dreamily, smiling as she watched him struggle to find a new place for his hand to go. It hovered above her shoulders, her hips, her head again and then finally moving to his hair, giving it a ruffle.

"Well hello to you too, darling. I hope you don't mind me letting you sleep. I know how much you love this movie, but you looked so peaceful..."

"It's ok, I've seen it a million times. What did you think of it?" She looked up at him, and her breath caught at just how beautiful he was. His stubble perfectly framed his jawline, and his hair was tousled just so, as if it were done on purpose. His eyes were the deepest, most splendid shade of brown, and his lips… There was no denying it now that he was an angelic masterpiece.

She couldn't help herself from reaching up and cupping his cheek in her hand, tracing the lines of his cheekbones with her thumb, getting lost in those brown pools. He placed his hand over hers, smiling down at her, and gently lifted her hand to place a kiss in her palm before replacing it on his cheek, and rested his hand on her hips. "I can see why one would enjoy it. The music is quite fetching, but that Wonka character is a little too over-the-top for me," he said as he began to absentmindedly trace the lines of her curves with his fingertips. "Why does nobody question the fact that he basically enslaved those Oompa Loompas? As if giving them a cutesy name changes the fact that he stole them from their homeland and forces them to work tirelessly to achieve his grand plans.” He scoffed. “It's utter nonsense."

Lynne chuckled. "I agree, the movie's pretty problematic in general, but I fell in love with it when I was too young to notice and can't help but continue loving the memories and magic of my youth that it stirs up."

"The heart wants what it wants, I suppose…" he said as his caress grew stronger, and Lynne felt something else stirring under her head. She leaned into his touch as her fingers moved upwards to play with his hair. His hand quickly moved to cover hers. "I'm sorry, love, but if we continue this way my lap may become quite uncomfortable to rest upon," he said as he tried to shift himself. Lynne sat up and before she knew it her lips were pressed against his.

"Are you sure you-" he began to say, and she shut him up with another kiss.

"No more talking right now, please. I'm all talked out." He nodded as she shifted into a more comfortable position beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck, snaking her fingers through his hair as she moved in to kiss him again.

Their kisses were gentle and unrushed, as if they had all the time in the world to explore each others' mouths. Lynne suddenly realized they hadn't properly kissed like this yet, having been too caught up in their game or their lust to truly just enjoy the feeling of it. She felt as though she could simply kiss him for an eternity and never tire of it.

She longed to feel more of him as they continued, and moved to straddle his lap but sat far enough back on his knees to keep things PG. Her movement into this position wasn't quite elegant, and an elbow may have knocked into his chin along the way, but they laughed about it and got back to making out.

Lucifer wrapped his arms around her for support but maintained a demeanor as gentleman-like as he could, given the circumstances, surprising himself in the process. He couldn't recall a time he had ever just simply kissed someone with no ulterior motives or plans and found himself quite enjoying it.

Time seemed to stand still as they laid a nibble here and a lick there, but never quite escalated their actions. Each was yearning for more contact but afraid to push things further for their own reasons. The robes were nothing more than an accessory at this point, and the feel of skin against skin was exhilarating. Their kisses began to deepen significantly, and Lynne instinctively shifted forward to better position herself for the friction she was so desperate for at this point.

She began to grind against him, her slickness making it incredibly easy to slide across his length, slowly teasing both of them closer and closer to the point of no return. Lucifer's breath caught in his throat and he tightened his grip around her waist but was careful to keep the control and power in her hands, her words from the last time he made the first move ringing through his head. _She needs to be ready. It needs to be her choice._

Lynne continued her ministrations as their tongues swirled together and their breath got heavier. Her body was screaming in desperation to sate the ache that had been slowly building up, but her mind wouldn't let her fully lose herself in pleasure, the nagging little voice inside of her reminding her of the gravity of her actions, the eternal consequences it could have. But she had already done this, had already gone there with him before. _Is there really that much of a difference at this point? Why am I holding back?_

Lucifer's desire was becoming almost painful. He was getting dangerously close to finding his peak again and it took every ounce of his self-control not to just plunge inside of her and have his way. _She needs to be ready. It needs to be her choice._ It was almost a mantra for him, grounding him to reality, holding him back from that ledge.

He knew these words were no longer about whether or not she desired him, that much was obvious. The simple act of consummation had somehow become a symbol for a far greater decision for both of them, a turning point they may not be able to come back from. Neither could figure out how they had gotten here so quickly, but each sensed something significantly deeper was at play.

Lynne was teetering on the edge of what felt like insanity, desperately clinging to him, touching every inch of exposed skin possible against his as their lips and tongues hungrily mashed against each other, their desire unaffected by the occasional clink of teeth. _I need to be ready. I need to make a choice._

_So help me God the last thing I want is another FUCKING DECISION!_

The argument between the angel on her shoulder and the devil on the other was reaching a fever pitch. She pulled back to catch her breath and locked eyes with the man who was the literal embodiment of both. _Fuck it. The devil wins this one._

She impaled herself on him and they both cried out. They spent the next few moments perfectly still, staring into each other’s eyes, searching for answers or validation or anything to put their mental torment to rest, but neither willing to speak of the consequences this act had or make a move to confirm it was the right choice.

Biology soon took over and they began to slowly rock into each other. Their eyes still locked, Lucifer cupped Lynne's head in his hands and brought their lips together again. Their kiss was brief, tentative, and Lynne rested her forehead against his as they continued searching each other’s eyes. She finally closed her eyes and kissed him again, properly this time, breaking their trance or standoff or whatever it was they were torturing themselves with right now. 

The pace of their rocking slowly grew, and time seemed to still again as they allowed themselves to get lost in pleasure. The hunger and voracity of their desire was gone now, replaced with a mix of tenderness and vulnerability neither had quite felt before.

The gentle rhythm they had established felt incredible, and Lynne moaned softly into Lucifer's ear as he gently nibbled at her neck. "Lucifer… You feel… So... Ohhhh…" Another moan replaced the rest of her thought as she lifted herself up a couple inches, adding a gentle thrust to their rocking.

"As do you," he murmured as his lips made their way to hers again. He grabbed hold of her hips to help support her as she slowly increased her pace. Lynne found herself edging closer and closer to her release and didn't want to wait anymore. She grabbed on to his shoulders and lifted herself off of him fully before coming back down. Another soft moan came out, but this time it was from pain. She tried again with a more shallow thrust, but couldn't help wincing as she moved to try again.

Lucifer broke their kiss and held her in place, preventing another attempt. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No, no, you're fine, I'm fine. I mean, I guess technically you did, given your uh… girth… but it's fine. I'm just a little sore, but it's fine. I want you. No, I _need_ you. I think if we just go back to-" 

In an instant, Lucifer had lifted her up and switched their positions, placing her on the edge of the couch and kneeling in front of her. "I'll hear nothing of the sort." She parted her legs to make room for him between them, her eyes still heavy with desire. He licked his lips as his eyes fell upon the shining temple before him. "May I? I promise I'll be gentle."

"You may."

He flashed her a devilish grin, then proceeded to run a trail of kisses up her legs before placing her knees on his shoulders. He reached her summit and softly ran his tongue across her folds until he reached her clit. He swirled his tongue around it for a few tantalizing moments before softly sucking on it, smiling at her gasp as his tongue's motions shot straight to her core. He continued to switch between soothing licks and tender sucks as her body gently twitched.

Wanting more of her, he reached up and pulled her slightly off the edge of the couch. He gently pushed her thighs apart and brought her knees to her shoulders, resting her feet on his for support. She was now fully open to him, the mix of his saliva and her arousal glistening enticingly, calling his mouth back for more and sending a fresh wave of desire through him. 

He ran his tongue across her again, lapping her juices as he went, and placed the tip of it delicately against her entrance, the taste of her making his mouth water. He wanted so badly to plunge in and drink her heavenly nectar from its source, but resisted, not wanting to hurt her. Instead he chose to bring his tongue back north and used two fingers to separate her lips as he slowly circled around her bundle of nerves with his tongue, eliciting soft moans as waves of bliss washed over her.

The sounds of her pleasure were too much for him to bear, and he wrapped his free hand around his now fully engorged cock, gently stroking it in time with the pace of his licks against her. He hardened the tip of his tongue and placed it directly against her nub. She cried out his name as the sudden pressure nearly drove her over the edge. His grip around himself tightened as he wiggled his tongue against her, her breath catching in her throat, and he was soon close to his own peak.

Her hand reached down and grasped a handful of his hair and she held his head in place as her hips began to rise until his tongue was against her entrance. His fingertip soon replaced his tongue on her nub and he continued to rub tight circles around it as he lightly lapped against entrance. "Please," she whimpered as she gently bucked against him, and he darted his tongue inside her.

His fingers increased their pressure as he continued to tenderly plunge his tongue in and out of her, his cock matching each thrust into his hand. He removed his fingers from her clit so he could use his tongue again, and used his newly freed hand to reach up and cup her breast as he settled into a rhythm of flicks and circles as her hips rose in time to meet each suck of his lips. He felt the muscles in her thighs begin to tighten around his head, let go of his throbbing member and used both of his hands to hold her legs in place, spreading her again as he increased his efforts.

"Yes…" she moaned as his tongue pressed down on her. "Just like that, Lucifer, don't stop," she cried as she ground against his mouth. He quickly flicked his tongue against her nub, desperate to taste her juices again, but not wanting to break his steady rhythm. "Oh fuck, Lucifer," she moaned as her back arched and she began climax. He plunged his tongue inside of her just in time to feel her shudder around him and his cock stiffened at the sensation. Her juices filled his mouth and he drank from her as he brought one hand back down to himself, gently pressing his palm against his head as his warm seed pulsed into it.

He began to lick her, eager to make her come again. As his tongue brushed her clit she instinctively jerked away, her nerves still too sensitive to be able to enjoy another round just yet. "Hold that thought for a little while, if you don't mind," she said as she placed her feet back on the ground and sat up. She brought Lucifer's face to hers and kissed him, smiling as she tasted himself on his tongue. "Thank you," she said as she gently pulled him up from his knees. "It's your turn now."

"I could certainly go again if you give me a few minutes, but I’m afraid you're a little late to that party, love." he said as he brought his hand up, still wet with his seed. She took his hand in hers and brought it to her mouth, licking him clean. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so selfish, you shouldn't have had to-" He cut her off with another kiss.

"There are a lot of things I shouldn't do, love, but that's not one of them. If it helps, I didn't do much of anything, really. The sensations of your ecstasy drove me over the edge on their own."

She looked at him, her juices still glistening in his stubble, amazed at the pleasure he had somehow found in hers. Nobody before him had ever treated that act as more than a chore or base to quickly round before the home run. "Wow. That's pretty fucking hot, actually. I kinda want to jump you again right here and now."

He laughed softly. "I would love that, but I believe my self-control is quite depleted at the moment and I don't want to cause any further damage as I take what I truly want from you.” His back straightened and his face lit up as if a light bulb had appeared above his head. “Come to think of it, I may actually have something to help with that. Come with me, love."

He led her to the bathroom and began to run a bath, pouring different oils and salts into the water as the jets mixed them together and created a luxurious foam. "There we go.” He rubbed his hands together triumphantly as he turned towards her. “Soak in here for a while, it should help soothe you," he said as removed her robe and helped her into the tub.

She lowered herself into the water, flinching at the heat at first but slowly relaxing into it. “Mmm, this feels amazing, Lucifer. It’s been ages since I’ve had a decent bath, and your tub is utterly _divine_.”  She stretched out her legs and sighed happily. "There's still plenty of room. Care to join me? 

He smiled as he watched her curves slowly disappear beneath the bubbles, and his hand absentmindedly squeezed his cock. "I'd love to, but with the way you look right now, I don't think I'd be able to let you do much relaxing."

She giggled as she blew a handful of bubbles at him. "Yeah, you look like you could use a bit of a cold shower, there, cowboy. She closed her eyes and receded into the water, relishing in its warmth and silkiness as she heard him softly whistling from the shower.


	6. Chapter 6

"How do you want your meat?" Lucifer asked as he popped his head into the bathroom.

Lynne opened her eyes suddenly. "Huh? What meat? Your meat?"

He laughed as he took in an eyeful of her form, the bubbles having long melted away. "You can certainly have my meat any way and any time you'd like it, darling, but I was referring to steak at the moment. How do you take it?"

“Medium well…” Lynne looked down and noticed the skin on her fingers had wrinkled and the water was much cooler than she last remembered. "Why? How long have I been in here?"

He smiled at her confusion. "Don't you worry about that, darling. Take your time. Well, not too much time, dinner should be ready in about fifteen minutes. Feel free to help yourself to anything in my closet, though I'd much prefer if you stayed dressed just as you are." He winked before closing the door and heading back to the kitchen.

* * *

Lucifer's closet was bigger than Lynne's bedroom, and she struggled not to spend too much time gaping in awe at it. She rummaged through the hangers and drawers until she finally found an old t-shirt and pair of sweatpants to borrow, both of which were incredibly soft against her skin. _It may not be the cutest outfit, but I think we're beyond that stage by now. And I feel so comfy and cozy…_

She heard music coming from the kitchen and made her way over, standing in the doorway as she watched Lucifer sing "Come Fly Away" along with ol' blue eyes himself, dancing adorably as he put the finishing touches on their meal. She smiled at the soft brown curls that bounced lazily on his head and wondered just how long he spent every day styling them into submission. She noticed he had put on a pair of boxer briefs which hung dangerously low on his hips, but had skipped a shirt in lieu an apron that said "Kiss the Chef". 

"What's cooking, good looking?" She chuckled as she walked behind him and got on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek before ducking under his arm to see what he had made. Her mouth watered at the sight of steak, roasted red potatoes and broccoli placed elegantly on their plates with sprigs of rosemary resting on top of them.

He looked down and flashed her a bright grin, then wrapped his arms around her so she could join as he began to dance again. "Nothing too extravagant, sadly, just whatever I had on hand. Although I must thank you for bringing the side of corn, it pairs quite nicely with our meal."

Lynne laughed as she shrugged. "What can I say? When I'm happy I get kinda corny. Deal with it."

He brought her closer and kissed her softly, before leaning her head against his chest as they swayed. "So you're happy? I mean truly happy?" he said with a somewhat concerned tone.

"Yes, I suppose I am. It's been quite a day, for sure, and despite both naps I'm still mentally exhausted by everything, but I dunno… I'm kind of weirdly at peace with everything at the moment. It might all hit me again later, but for now? Yes, I'm happy. I mean, how could I not be? I'm dancing around with a gorgeous man who just made me my absolute favorite meal without even knowing it."

He twirled her around and brought her back to him for another kiss. "I'm so pleased to hear that, Lynne. I'm happy, too. That you stayed, that we talked, and especially that I was finally able to shag you again." She chuckled as she nodded in agreement. "I'm even happy that you got some of your anger out, I think you needed that."

Lynne sighed softly as she leaned against him. "I think I did, too. Thanks for not taking it too personally or stooping down to my level. I was an asshole and it wasn't really your fault that this all happened to me. You didn't plan it. And definitely didn't deserve to have me lash out at you."

"I did deserve it, Lynne. The way you said it was hurtful, but what you said was absolutely true, and quite frankly something nobody has had the gall to say to me in a long, long time. I needed to hear it. I needed that reality check, and I thank you for it."

Lynne kissed his chest, right over his heart. "We still barely know each other, but I know enough to be sure that there is goodness in you, I know there's so much more to you than the stories people tell, that you're far more complex than I would have ever imagined. I don't know your history, your experiences, or your torment, and I don't need to. I know enough to _want_ to know you, Lucifer, and that's enough for me right now. Everything else can wait."

Her words moved him deeply, and he held her close as an unfamiliar feeling washed over him that he couldn't quite put his finger on. There were very few people that knew his truth, and fewer still that were willing and able to truly accept him as he was and want nothing in return. And each of them had had the opportunity to see the good in him before learning his truth. While their revelation was still quite shocking, they at least knew him, had something to go on when trying to make peace with that fact. But this was different. She had only known him for a few hours before her world was tipped upside down, and most of those were spent in lust or slumber. And yet she somehow saw right through all of it to his very core…

She was right- everything else could wait. He had faced too many emotions already today and pushed the feeling back, mentally brushing away her comment on the basis that she had only seen visible proof of his ‘angelic’ side, making it abundantly easier to come grips with his true identity and see that goodness in him. He loosened his grip and dipped her back, kissing her neck. "I don't think our dinner should wait too long, otherwise it might get cold. Would you mind grabbing the wine?"

* * *

Their conversation was light and comfortable as they dined. Lynne was surprised to learn that the devil was just as silly and goofy as she was. It felt good to laugh with him, a pleasant way to end an overwhelmingly emotional day.

They had taken the rest of their wine out to his balcony and were enjoying a quiet moment together on the sofa. The wind had a slight chill to it, but she didn't mind thanks to the heat radiating from the fireplace and Lucifer's body as she lay against him, staring up into the sky, wrapped in his warm embrace.

Lynne had always been fascinated by astronomy but rarely got the opportunity to see many stars at once in real life thanks to the city's lights. From this height, however, she was able to see dozens of them. She was mesmerized, studying the pockets of light that lit up the sky, searching for familiar constellations, maybe even a planet, and getting lost in awe of the sheer beauty and enormity of the universe around her. She absentmindedly said a silent prayer of thanks to its creator.

Her prayer felt more real than any she had said before, and her mind drifted back to the knowledge she had learned what felt like ages ago, but had only been 12 hours at best. She wondered if perhaps her prayer felt more real because she now knew for a fact He existed. Instead of being overwhelmed by it, this knowledge now filled her with a sense of peace. Perhaps He _had_ heard her desperate cries that morning, and granted her the serenity she had begged Him for. She sent another quick prayer of gratitude as she snuggled closer into the crook of Lucifer's neck.

Lucifer's hand reached up to embrace her head as he brought his lips to her crown. "Penny for your thoughts, love?"

She squeezed the arm that was wrapped around her waist and ran a trail of kisses along it. "Does it ever get old to you?"

"Does what get old?" he asked as he slid his fingers through hers.

"This," she said as she gestured to the stars above them with her free hand. "It's just so incredibly beautiful. I've always been mesmerized by the night sky, finding peace and awe in it, but it's even more breathtaking now I know that it's… Well, it's TRULY divine. I know you have quite a beef with the guy that created it, and you've been around so long that you've seen it countless times, but I can't help but wonder… does it ever get old to you?"

"Never," he said, softly sighing. "In fact, it's probably my greatest accomplishment, and I'm filled with pride each time I see them twinkling up there."

Lynne lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him in shock. "Wait… I thought God created all of this? The universe? Please tell me that's not a lie, I can't handle my most fundamental belief being shattered…"

He leaned her head back against his shoulder and kissed it again. "Worry not, Lynne. He most certainly did create this universe, and humanity. It didn't quite take seven days, that part's a myth, and he outsourced a good portion of the work. But he did say 'Let there be light', and as his dutiful son, I obeyed him. I found it to be quite fun, actually! I may have gone a little overboard, but the effect is rather impressive, isn't it."

Lynne nodded as it all began to make sense. "Lucifer 'I actually created the' Morningstar… the Lightbringer… How am I just putting two and two together now?"

Lucifer laughed softly. "That's likely the least of your revelations today, love. And I'm quite enjoying all these middle names you keep creating for me. I don't actually have one, maybe one of yours will stick, but you’ll have to step up your name game, I’m afraid."

She giggled as she lifted her head to look at him. The light of the moon shone across his face, highlighting his exquisiteness, and she was in awe once again. _Are you sure HE'S not your most beautiful creation?_ she thought upwards, amused by the fact that she was now joking through prayer as if she and God were old chums.

"Challenge accepted." She moved in to kiss him, but an enormous yawn interrupted her attempt. _Good one, pal,_ she thought as she laughed silently. She yawned again as her back and arms instinctively stretched out and a wave of fatigue washed over her. "But I think I might have to wait until tomorrow to start brainstorming."

He smiled as he dodged her elbow. "Yes, you're sure to be more creative after a good night's rest, can't risk getting stuck with something boring now, can I? Let's get you to bed, love." He helped her stand and held her hand as they walked back inside and towards his room.

He made no effort to turn on the lights as he sidled over to the side of the bed, pulled the covers back, and laid down. "Are you coming?" he asked as he patted the spot next to him. "If I have any say, you most certainly will be soon, but I assure you I will actually let you rest if that's what you _truly_ desire..." 

Feeling somewhat relieved, Lynne crawled in beside him and lay her head on his chest. She draped an arm across his chest and rested a leg atop his, snuggling in as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled up the covers. "It kind of is. I mean I definitely want you, but I'm pretty exhausted and don't want to accidentally fall asleep mid-coitus, that's just rude. Besides, this feels really nice right now..."

He pulled her up a little further and rested his chin against her head. "It does, doesn't it…" She smiled as she listened to his heartbeat through his chest, the gentle steady thump lulling her to sleep within a few minutes.


	7. Chapter 7

Lynne awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. She thought back to that first time she woke up in his bed, and how it had all felt like just a dream. The best dream of her life, in fact. There was an undeniable eroticism to how she had slowly awoken as his hands caressed her, teasing her as she drifted in a magical twilight state of pleasure between dream and reality.  A wave of desire shot through her core as she recalled the inexplicably tantalizing feel of his cock when he finally slid inside of her and made her whole, his slow teasing until she was right on the edge, the power she felt as she rode him to completion.

Her thighs instinctively began to rub together as she thought back to the almost animalistic force he had used afterwards as he took his pleasure from her, how his guttural growls and the power of his release had sent her right back over the edge again almost immediately, and the satisfaction she felt from the pleasure she was able to bring him as he laid against her afterwards, his wings wrapped around her as she fell back to sleep.

 _His wings…_ She tried to push the memories of what happened the next time she woke up far to the back of her mind and turned her focus back on her memories before her revelation. She started from the beginning, the feel of waking up in the throes of passion, and the ache between her legs began to grow again until it was nearly insatiable.

She rolled over, wanting to return the favor of a sensual wake-up to Lucifer, but was disappointed to find an angel-sized void on the bed beside her. She sat up, momentarily panicked, her mind automatically going to worst-case-scenario mode. _Maybe he left? Maybe yesterday was just too much for him and he couldn't face it again today, and won't return until I leave?_ Her heart began to race, but her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of cabinet doors opening and closing in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief as she reclined back against the headboard.

Moments later, he walked into the room, and she couldn't help but admire his naked physique as he walked by her, blissfully unaware of the show she was getting. The muscles in his perfectly sculpted back and ass twitched slightly as he walked over to the chair, and she couldn't hold back her desirous gasp as he bent over to pick up his shoes from the floor beside it.

He turned, almost startled to see her awake. "Oh, forgive me, love, I didn't mean to wake you, I was just getting my shoes. I had every intention of bringing you breakfast in bed, with you as dessert of course, but realized I didn't have anything to actually bring you and was just headed to the shops."

Lynne smiled at him in awe of what a sweet gesture he was trying to make. "It's ok, I woke up on my own. And that's very kind of you! Who knew the devil was such a sweetheart, cuddling all night and now breakfast in bed," she said as she got up and walked over to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his chest.

He hugged her back and bent down to whisper in her ear. "Shh, don't tell anyone, can't risk sullying my reputation." He smiled and gently nipped at her lobe, reigniting the flames of desire in her center.

"Don't worry, it's our little secret. If anyone asks, I'll tell them you're all fire and brimstone," she whispered back, her hand snaking down to his crotch as she licked behind his ear. "And pleasure, of course," she said as she gently squeezed him. "Speaking of, fuck breakfast. Let’s skip to dessert."

In an instant, she was scooped up and carried back to his bed. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said as he began to pull her pants down. She helped by wiggling out of them and giggled as he carelessly flung them over his shoulder. She quickly peeled off her shirt, flung it towards the chair, and pulled him on top of her, relishing in the feel of his bare skin against hers as their lips met.

Their kiss was ravenous this time, and she clawed at his back as she parted her legs for him, pleased to feel his arousal had already begun to match hers. He moved his lips down to her neck, gently sucking and nibbling along the way to her breast. He took her nipple in his mouth and began to suck, his pressure slowly increasing and sending a fresh wave of dampness between her legs.

She moved out from under him and, with a little help, switched positions so she was on top of him. "My, my,” he purred as she began to nibble down his neck and sucked voraciously on his collarbone. "Taking what we want freely now are we?"

She smiled as she lifted her head to his. "I don't have the patience for your teasing right now, so I decided to take matters into my own hands," she said as she rubbed herself against him, covering his member with her slickness.

He scoffed. "I'm not a tease, I just like to build it up for you so when I eventuahhhh," his excuse was interrupted as she lowered herself onto him.

"Yeah, whatever," she chuckled as she moved in to kiss him and lifted herself up. She moaned softly as she brought him into her again and deepened their kiss. She reached down to grab his hands, bringing them above his head and holding them there as she continued to ride him, her wave of pleasure beginning to crest again.

She entwined her fingers in his and brought his arms up so she could use them for leverage as she sat up, the new angle bringing her to new heights. She looked down at him as she rolled her hips. His eyes were closed and a look of sheer pleasure was plastered across his face, spurring her on. She increased her pace and soon her breasts were bouncing along with her rhythm.

Nearing her peak, she released his hands and leaned back, grabbing onto his thighs for support, and ground into him relentlessly. Her walls began to tighten around him and he grabbed onto her waist to stabilize her as she rode the wave of pleasure that had finally crested. He held her tight and thrust into her, matching her previous gait, and his peak shortly followed hers.

He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace as his lips found hers again. He kissed her deeply as he pumped the rest of his seed into her, his gentle moans escaping into her mouth. Their tongues swirled together and they gently rocked into each other as they came down from their heights.

Without breaking contact, he flipped them over so he was on top of her again and began to thrust into her once more, a hunger returning to their kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he continued pumping and found herself quickly returning to the edge of ecstasy. She broke their kiss to catch her breath, and he buried his face in her neck, his mouth making what felt like little flames appear on her skin everywhere it touched.

"How are you-ohhh…" a moan interrupted her question as he gently sucked on her pulse point. "I thought you just…"

"One of the perks of divinity, love," he said, smiling as he removed one of her legs from his back and kissed her foot as he brought it over his shoulder. With this new angle he was able to penetrate her much deeper, and the base of his shaft rubbed deliciously against her nub.

"Quite a divine perk, I'd say", she said as she arched her back to meet his thrusts.

"Oh darling, you have no idea," he smirked as he began to drive into her again. His depth allowed him to hit against an entirely different set of nerves and she clutched onto the sheets as her she got closer to her peak again. Heavy breaths and the sensual sound of his sack slapping against her filled the room as he increased his pace, soft grunts falling from his lips. Her cries of pleasure soon joined the cacophony as she exploded around him once more.

He didn't skip a beat as he rolled her onto her side and hitched her leg up around his waist as he continued his unyielding plunges into her. She reached her arms around him and pulled his chest as close to hers as she could, the sweat of their bodies mixing and creating a new sensation against her skin as her muscles began to tense around him yet again. He reached up to grab a fistful of her hair and gently tugged on it, sending another shock of pleasure throughout her body.

She snaked her leg around his ass, using it to guide his thrusts as he kissed her neck, his breath heavy in her ear. "I can't believe… Mmm… I'm saying this so soon, but… Ooohhhhh… I'm so close again. If you could just-" She tightened the grip of her leg around him and slowed his thrusts, holding him in place as she ground into him. Taking her lead, he switched to a slow and gentle rock inside of her as she circled her hips around him. "A little deeper," she panted and he hitched her leg up higher so he could fully sheath himself. "Fuck, yes, just like that,” she murmured as he drove into her and her hands grasped his back. “Pull my hair again, ohhhh fuck, yes, Lucifer, please don't stop," her words became moans as her nails dug into his shoulder blades.

"Of course, darling, anything you desire, though I'm not sure how…ohhhhh… much longer I can last like this, you feel so utterly divine..." he murmured into her ear as he ground himself deliciously deep inside of her.

"You won't have to-ohhhhhhhh, fuck, Lucifer, yes!” Her walls clamped down tightly around him, and she clung to him breathlessly. His movements became erratic and her muscles continued contracting around his stiffening cock as she rode through the aftershocks of yet another powerful orgasm, each throb sending another wave of ecstasy through her. She felt a hot stream shoot into her center again, slightly less powerful than the previous one, and clenched herself around him to milk the remainder of his seed deep inside of her as his mouth found hers again.

They stayed entwined for a few minutes as he began to soften inside her. Another shiver of pleasure shot through her as he slowly pulled himself out and laid beside her. They lay like there for a while, fully spent and sated, panting as they tried to catch their breath before they could go again. Their breathing gradually quieted, and Lynne's stomach rumbled, breaking the silence.

They used what breath they had to laugh at the interruption. "I could fuck you all day, Lucifer, but it sounds like we may need to take a break for breakfast after all. It's too bad you didn't pull out and move to my mouth before you came, I could have used the protein."

His cock twitched as the image of her drinking from him that first night flashed in his mind. He rolled towards her and laid a hand across her stomach before bending down to speak to it. "That's enough out of you. I intend to make her come at least once more before breakfast, so hush up."

He moved his head between her legs, gently pushing them open as he began to lick her. His cock grew harder as he tasted the sweet and salty mix of their juices that awaited him at her entrance. She ran her fingers through his hair as his tongue made its way to her nub and began to lave at it, sending a new rush of dampness to her core. She arched her back and pushed his head down further so he could drink from her again. He plunged his tongue inside her and swirled it around as she fell deeper into the throes of desire.

His tongue moved back up and encircled her clit, eliciting a low moan from her, which was interrupted by another grumble from her stomach. She let go of his hair as she propped herself up into her elbows and looked down. "Zip it, stomach, let me enjoy this!" She said sternly.

He smiled up at her as she hung her head back again and continued his ministrations on her nub. She felt the wave of pleasure begin to crest as he settled on a tantalizing rhythm. She was moments from her peak when her stomach growled again.

She sat up fully now, and he drew his head back as she sighed in frustration. "Fucking fuck! I'm sorry Lucifer, you're amazing but I just can't concentrate with that incessant growling. Do you mind if we take a break, or at least switch places?”

"A momentary one, yes," he said as he took her hands and helped her up from the bed, his cock still standing at full attention. "I've an idea that will save us some time." He led her to the bathroom and kissed her as he reached in to turn the water on. "I'd like to take you out for breakfast, but after that workout I'd prefer to be a little more fresh before facing the public, and I imagine you may as well."

"Valid point," she said as she nodded. "But we’re both still pretty uh… ready to rock…" she said, glancing down as his fully erect member. He quickly checked the temperature of the water before guiding her inside the stall and pulling them into the stream as he kissed her again.

"Ahh, here we go. We can achieve both objectives if we work together, love. Come, now, I'll do the soap while you handle the shampoo."

Lynne giggled as they reached for their respective bottles and lathered up. She brought both hands to his head to work the shampoo in, and he stopped her. "Lynne, please, we're in a bit of a rush here, darling. You've got two hands- use them! Like this," he said as he brought one of his hands to her back and the other to his chest and began to lather them both. "See? Easy peasy, my shaft you'll soon squeezey."

She laughed again as she did her best to shampoo both of them at the same time. "Nice line… Who's the corny one now?" She giggled as she intentionally dropped some bubbles onto his nose.

Undeterred by her antics, he continued washing them, making quick work of it. He ducked under her arm and rinsed his head in the stream as he washed their legs, helping her balance as he lifted each of her feet to wash them. "There, that's done. This next part might be a little tricky, but if you just-" he turned her around and placed one of her feet on another conveniently placed ledge as he dipped her head back into the water. “and then I-" he quickly reached around and attempted to wash between her legs as he washed his back, but couldn't quite reach it. "Bloody hell, that won't work, let's try this."

She couldn't control her laughter as he spun her around again and quickly lathered his chest up again before handing her the conditioner. "Ok, here, just try and rub your chest against mine to wash it while you're doing that, and I'll get my back." His voice was incredibly serious, as if he had no idea how utterly ridiculous his suggestion was.

Lynne's laughter exploded as she attempted to follow his directions and she had to stop when she could no longer breathe. "Lucifer… I… I fucking can't with you right now, you're too much." She was overtaken by laughter again and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "This is so absurd! How are you still taking this seriously?"

He took the bottle from her hands and gave her a stern look. "One of us has to keep their eyes on the prize, here, love." He rolled his eyes in disdain as he finished working conditioner into her hair and put the bottle back on the shelf. He wrapped his arms around her again as he moved them back into the stream of water to rinse, and finally cracked a smile.

"That was slightly ridiculous, now that you mention it, but quite efficient I might add." She nodded her head in agreement as he reached up to tilt the jets, then lifted her up and leaned her against the wall, wrapping her legs around his waist as he positioned himself against her entrance. "Now, let's rinse off so we can go and get that breakfast of yours. But we've no time to dilly dally, so I need you to take this seriously, got it?"

She nodded again and tried to stifle another laugh as he flashed her a devilish grin. "Last one to come gets to drive us there," he said as he pushed into her.

  


	8. Chapter 8

Lynne leaned back in her seat and let the sun wash over her as they drove. "Enjoying yourself?" Lucifer asked as he reached a hand out to squeeze her knee.

"Immensely," she sighed as she squeezed his hand back. "Especially now that you've finally stopped complaining about your appearance." She chuckled and brought his hand to her lips for a quick kiss before placing it back on her knee and looking up at the sky above them again.

She could hear the scowl on his face as he muttered under his breath, "I can't just prance about town in sweatpants, I have a reputation to uphold…"

She squeezed his hand again as she held back another giggle. "Listen, Lucifer, you're absolutely stunning no matter what you're wearing. And like I said, my options were limited and if you went out like _that_ , people would be talking about the slob on your arm in contrast. A worse hit to your precious reputation if you ask me."

"Well, we could have very well just gone with _my_ choice of attire, but no, someone needed to 'wear clothes to breakfast'. It's your most natural form, Lynne, you really should embrace it."

Lynne rolled her eyes as she laughed. "Let's not start this up again. Besides, nobody will care what you look like where we're going, so just relax and enjoy the ride." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

He looked around them with a theatrical flair. "How can I enjoy the ride when I don't know where we're going? I had a perfectly wonderful place in mind for us before you started on about that compromise nonsense."

She cupped his cheek in her hand. "Oh, Lucifer, just be grateful I even agreed to a compromise, seeing as how I TOTALLY won our little race."

He reached up and grabbed her hand, gently caressing her knuckles with his thumb. "Tell me, Lynne, do you find pleasure in being so adamantly wrong? I distinctly remember it was the feeling of you clamping down around me that drove me to my peak, love."

"… Says the man who's lived eons but never heard of kegels. There were at least 45 seconds between that and when I actually came. Just be glad I let you drive this thing, I could be having so much more fun right now." She laughed and turned the radio up to drown out whatever comeback was coming out of his mouth. She kicked off his sandals and put her feet up on his dashboard as she reclined back in the seat.

She heard him mumble something about scuffs in the gap between songs, and a familiar set of chords only the early 90's could produce came floating from the speakers.

> I know there's pain…
> 
> Why do you lock yourself up in these chains?
> 
> No one can change your life except for you…

This song was at the top of Lynne's list of guilty pleasures, but she fought against the primal urge to sing along, slightly embarrassed for Lucifer to find out she knows every single word to such a ridiculously corny song. _That's a 4th date admission at the soonest._

She looked over at him and caught his fingers tapping on the steering wheel of their own accord. _Oh right, it's HIS playlist, that closeted cheeseball!_ She began humming along, and he quickly joined her. Before they knew it, they were belting out the lyrics as loudly as they could.

> Don't you know things can change?
> 
> Things will go your way if you hold on for one more day.
> 
> Can you hold on for one more day?
> 
> Things will go your way…
> 
> Hold on for one more day.

* * *

They pulled up to a little shack on the beach, and he scoffed to himself at the sight of it as he attempted to tame his wind-blown hair in the rearview mirror. "If you had just given me a few more minutes to apply enough product…"

"Ugh, come on Narcissus, time to pull yourself away from your reflection," she said as she got out of the car and walked over to his side to drag him out by his arm.

They walked inside and she was greeted with a hug by the waitress at the door. "Good to see you, Lynne, we missed you yesterday." She cautiously eyed the man next to her and raised her eyebrows at Lynne. "Friend of yours?"

Lynne laughed and began to introduce him, but he gently bumped in front of her and put his hand out to shake the waitress's. "Lucifer Morningstar, darling, the pleasure's all mine."

The waitress laughed heartily as she patted Lynne on the shoulder. "I don't even _want_ to ask what you've been up to without Emily around to keep you in check, but at least he's a cutie”

“It's probably best if you don't.” Lynne shook her head as she sighed.

“Another time, perhaps. Your table should be free, doll, head right over."

"Thanks, Deb!" she said as she turned to walk away.

Lucifer stood there, slightly stunned, his hand still in the air. Deb looked back to him and laughed again as she shoved a menu into his open hand and gently pushed him towards Lynne. “Off you go now, _Lucifer_ …”

He could hear her still laughing as he followed Lynne out to the patio, where she led them to a corner table overlooking the ocean. He sat down, a look of annoyance on his face, and slapped his menu on the table. "Well isn't _she_ a charmer…" he scoffed.

Lynne giggled as she adjusted the umbrella. "Don't take it personally, Deb’s a sweetheart once you get to know her. Look behind you, isn't this view incredible?" Her eyes lit up as she looked beyond his shoulder to the waves crashing into the shoreline. "This is one of my favorite places out here! I found it a few weeks after I moved and have been coming almost every Saturday since."

He turned and looked at it as he sighed. "It is rather lovely…" He turned back towards her and grabbed her hands suddenly. "Wait, when did you move here? Why? Where are you from? I just realized I know next to nothing about you and that must change immediately. Tell me everything, Lynne ‘holds her cards close to her lovely chest’ Gardner." He leaned in, eagerly awaiting her life story.

"You're right, here I am with all these secrets of yours and you only know one of mine so far. Which you happen to share, my devilish little Wilson Phillips closet fan..." She smiled as she leaned back into her chair.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "For the last time, Maze put that on there to toy with me, it was one of her favorite torture devices! Now stop that nonsense and get back to my questions already."

"Mmhmm. The other half of that truth is that you know every single word and actually like it..." Lynne scoffed.

Lucifer sighed and begrudgingly nodded. "It is quite catchy..."

"I know! I'm embarrassed by my love for it as well, but there's no need for you to hide your guilty pleasures from me, Luc... Anyway, I moved to Cali about a decade ago, and LA about 5. Long story, but I ended up as a receptionist at a field office for a software company. Pay and benefits weren't great because I wasn't a direct employee, so I kept my old job on the side. Did that for about a year, working nights and weekends to make ends meet, but wanted to move forward in my career. I loved my company, but I was young and inexperienced and there weren't a lot of options back home, Boston by the way. We're headquartered in NorCal, so on a bit of a whim I decided to pack my bags and move out here to see what I could find! I saved up enough money to last me a few months and figured if it didn't work out, I could always go back home no worse for the wear. It was wicked scary, but I had to just go for it before I had too many roots holding me down and thankfully my gamble paid off. I found a new role within a month or so, and worked my way up to-"

Her sentence was interrupted by a cup of coffee being slammed down next to their hands, causing them both to jump as they pulled their hands apart to avoid the splash. Their server burst into laughter as he gave Lynne a hug.

"Nice one, Peter, you got me!" she said as she hugged him back.

He pulled away and laughed again as he shrugged. "I couldn't help myself, you two were so focused on your story that you didn't even notice me walk up." He turned and looked at Lucifer, giving him some serious side eye. "Who's this guy? Where's my girl Emily? I need that fire high five of hers!" Lucifer smiled awkwardly and didn't dare embarrass himself with another failed introduction. 

"Oh, please, like Deb didn't immediately run over to gossip with you as soon as we sat down," Lynne groaned as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Ok, fine, you caught me. It's pretty comical, actually. She's completely tipped over that you brought a guy here, and one named 'Lucifer Morningstar' of all things. She's DYING to get the scoop but doesn't think she can stop laughing long enough to ask and doesn't want to offend you. We thought if I played dumb I might get some good intel. Guess I'll just have to go back to eavesdropping..."

He winked as he pulled out his notepad. "The usual?" She nodded. "And for you, Mr.” he coughed to stifle a laugh. “Morningstar?"

Lucifer cleared his throat as he quickly scanned the menu. "I'll have a…. Whatever she's having. And an Americano, please."

Peter laughed as he jotted their order down. "Two plates of French toast, side of bacon extra crispy, and a mug of our finest Newman's, got it." He winked again at Lynne before he walked away.

Lucifer scoffed. "What is it with these people? Have they never heard of customer service? I've never…"

Lynne stifled a giggle. "Chill, Lucifer. It's nothing against you, they're basically family to me after all this time and they're bound to be a little leery when I bring a guy home. I don't really bring guys here often, if ever. My bad. I was so focused on that French toast I didn't really think the plan through. They'll warm up to you, and if not, well, it's not like you'll ever have to see them again, so just try to relax and roll with it."

Lucifer's face became more serious, and almost looked a little hurt. _Well I guess that answers the ‘where do we go from here’ question…_ Another mug of coffee landed on the table and he looked up, flashing his brightest smile. "Thank you so much, uh... Dude…" Peter chuckled and shook his head as he walked away.

Lynne couldn't contain her laughter this time. "Good effort, but maybe try a little less surfer and a little more… I dunno, however you've been with me until we left our happy little bubble and ventured out into the world. Yourself. They may be sizing you up, but they're not judgmental. And beneath all that… Lucifer-ness… You're a really great guy." she said as she squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

 _Marvelous… I'm a great guy you have no intentions of seeing once you leave this "bubble"… Bloody hell, why do I even care about that?_ He pulled his hand away from hers and took a sip of coffee as he leaned back in his chair to change the subject. "So tell me, who's this Emily they keep asking about? One of your lovely friends you were dancing with at Lux?"

Lynne nearly choked on the coffee she had just sipped. "Oh shit, I can't believe I haven't mentioned her yet! Emily’s definitely a dance machine but wasn't at Lux. She’s my daughter. Probably should have led with that little factoid instead of my career…"

It was Lucifer's turn to not choke on his drink. "Your… daughter?" he asked, unable to hide his surprise.

Lynne took offense to the tone of his question, and her eyes became somewhat steeled. "Yes, I have a daughter. She's five, and as far as kids go, she's pretty cool actually. Before you ask, her dad lives upstate, we had already broken things off before I found out I was pregnant, so thankfully not too much drama going on there. He's a nice enough guy, but he suffers from Peter Pan syndrome, so I had no interest in a future with him and he didn't have any interest in being a father, so it kinda worked out I guess, other than the whole raising a kid on my own thing. That's kinda tough sometimes, but whatever, she's worth it in the end."

Lucifer stuttered as he tried to come up with a casual response, but no actual words came out. "Don't worry, Lucifer, I'm not out here on some kind of hunt for a stepdad, I'm totally fine on my own and prefer it that way. You'll never have to meet her, so you can close your jaw now." She laughed timidly, trying to break the tension.

He finally spoke. "It's not that, I'm just not a- we don't get many- I'm just not familiar with many children and was surprised to learn you have one is all. You didn't seem like the- I'm sure she's lovely if she's anything like her mother." He smiled weakly as he cursed himself for being such a bumbling fool. _Oh well, I've already embarrassed myself twice in the last 30 minutes, can't get any worse…_

"I think I was just a little… Taken aback by it. I mean, by what you said about me never coming back here or meeting her. Don't get me wrong, I'm not eager to jump into any fatherly sort of role, nor do I have any preconceived notions about out next step, but I suppose I'm just a little surprised to hear that you've made your decision about me, err, us already."

Lynne furrowed her brows as she considered his words. "I didn't mean to... I haven't, it's just…" Thankfully Peter appeared with their food to save her from babbling too much. "Looks awesome, thanks P!"

He smiled and handed her the syrup from his apron. "Can I get you two 'gnarly dudes' anything else?"

"I think we're all set for now. Cowabunga!" she said, smiling at the blush that appeared on Lucifer's cheeks as Peter walked away. _The devil himself is embarrassed, mark this day in history._ "Dig in, 'dude', you're in for the best French toast of your life! Maybe, I actually don't know how long it's been around for…"

He added some extra flourish as he cut in and took a bite, savoring it as if he were tasting a fine wine. "Definitely top 3."

She smiled as she began to eat. They enjoyed their meal in comfortable silence as she gazed into the waves, lost in thought. As she neared the bottom of her plate, she turned her gaze to him, locking eyes for a moment.

"Listen, about what I said… I know this is SUCH a cliché, but it's really not about you…" she began. She turned back to the ocean, finding it easier to look at than him as she spoke. "I hadn't made a decision yet, not really. I mean, I have, at least as far as being on board with the whole divinity thing, I feel fairly confident that I'm okay with that all now. And also okay with the whole… you being the devil thing, as I think I made abundantly clear this morning."

She heard him chuckle softly and continued. "I'm just not in a place where I can be in a relationship, nor will I be for the foreseeable future. I know we're not having THAT talk right now, it's way too soon, but I don't want to lead you on in any way. And it's _really_ not you, although your… you-ness… does add another level of complexity to things. But I'd be saying this same exact thing even if you were just some… less divine guy sitting across from me. I just can't commit to anything even remotely more serious than an occasional dalliance, I really don't have a lot of free time to go out and enjoy myself. This weekend was like a one in a million opportunity for me."

She sighed almost sadly. "It sucks sometimes, and, yeah, I get lonely and have a pity party every now and then, but it's just my reality. I'm wicked busy with work, babysitters are expensive, and I can't just have a revolving door of guys coming in and out of my house or, most importantly, Emily's life. I've tried here and there over the years, and there were even a couple guys I took that next step with. I was really cautious and careful about introducing them to her, but she got wicked attached very quickly, and when those relationships inevitably didn't work out, she took it pretty hard. I can't put her through that again, and I can't get close enough to someone to gauge whether or not they might be worth taking the risk with the zero free time I have, so I'm in a bit of a catch-22 until she's grown up. And I'm fine with that, I really am. I don't want to get into it all right now, but I've always been perfectly content being single. I never really stuck with anyone super long-term even before she came along, and I'll continue to be fine on my own until I'm in a place in my life where I can maybe try again."

She turned her gaze back to the table and absentmindedly put a piece of French toast on her fork. "In the meantime, it would be nice to have someone I can casually hang out with on those rare free occasions, but, well, I don't get out much and at my age everyone's either looking for something more serious, or the old 'yeah, sure, no strings, sounds great' and then a month later they're in love with me game, which is never fun to deal with…" She put the bite in her mouth and chewed as she thought about how to word things better.

"I guess what I'm saying, in a very roundabout way, is that I would love to be with- to spend time with you whenever I'm able to, but I don't want you stuck waiting around for something that will never happen…" She looked up, trying to gauge his reaction, but his gaze was focused on the waves. She stared back at them as well and lowered her voice a little, afraid of where her train of thought may take her.

"And I also kind of… Well, I don't know, I haven't overanalyzed it all yet, I'd need some time away from our perfect little bubble of pleasure to accurately gauge what's what with all these emotions I've been feeling this weekend, but…" she sighed deeply, but couldn't help continuing, the words in her mind desperate to be said out loud.

"I guess there's a part of me that sees potential to actually _LIKE_ like you, like beyond the great sex and all, and that scares me a little. A lot, actually. I don't do feelings, I _can’t_ do feelings, I don't even know if you have or do feelings and I probably don't actually have feelings but if I did and you maybe ever did or even if you don't or didn’t, well, I think I'd be setting myself up for failure by continuing to see you. I might risk being the one stuck waiting around for something that's never gonna happen..." She finished her coffee in one gulp, and her hands began to tremble. "Fuck, that was a lot of words that I didn't want to say in a row and you're staring at the ocean and not saying any words back and is it weird if I run to the bathroom again? Is that, like, a card you can pull more than once to avoid a situation you don't want to deal with? This is so fucking awkward and I can't stop saying words and I'm just gonna-"

Lucifer's hand reached out to stop her as she started to get up, gently pushing her back into her seat. "I know how I'd like to help stop all those words, but I don't think your 'family' would appreciate our PDA." Lynne smiled and took a deep breath as her eyes met his again. He smiled sweetly at her and took her hands in his to stop their shaking. "It's ok, Lynne, don't worry about all of that right now. If it's any consolation, I don't 'do feelings', as you say, very often myself, nor are you alone in the overwhelming amount of emotions experienced this weekend. I haven't begun to make sense of it all, nor have I wanted to try. I'm quite enjoying this 'perfect little bubble' of ours and am not ready to for it to pop just yet. That time will come soon enough, and I want to hold on to it for one more day."

They shared a laugh at his reference to the song they had unabashedly belted out on their way over, and he brought a hand to her face, gently stroking her cheek. "Let's just enjoy it for now, we've got all the time in the world to overanalyze. But I shall certainly give you Linda's number before we part, she's great for that sort of thing. Deal?"

"Deal. See how much easier everything is when you make my decisions for me?" she smiled as she moved in to kiss him but was interrupted by Peter bringing their check.

"Anything else for you two?" He winked at Lynne as she rolled her eyes. _Could he BE any more obvious?_ She chuckled as she reached for the check and scanned it dramatically. "No eavesdropping discount? The gossip must be worth at _least_ 10% off."

"Sadly, no, there are still too many unanswered questions to satisfy the staff. Maybe next time." He smiled and gave her another quick hug. "Take care of yourself, Lynne. And tell Em her man says hi!" He turned to Lucifer and extended his hand to shake it. "It was nice to meet you, I hope to see you around some time. Be good to her."

Lucifer flashed him a big smile as he shook his hand. "I shall treat her nothing short of exceptionally. I hope to see you again as well," he said as his smile turned to Lynne.

Peter chuckled as he walked away to report back to the staff. Lucifer snapped the check out of Lynne's hands and threw three $100 bills on the table without even looking at it. Lynne gasped in horror. "Lucifer, that's at least ten times what we owe. Besides, I wanted to treat you, it's the least I can do for your hospitality." She pushed the money back towards him and reached for her purse.

Lucifer laughed as he stopped her. "Never in a million years will that happen, though I appreciate the sentiment. You can repay me in other ways later." He winked as he grabbed her hands again and helped her up from the table. He leaned in to kiss her and she dodged his head, giggling as she led him towards the door. "Careful now, or Aunty Deb might come over with a frying pan on our way out."

They walked back to the car and got inside, where she finally allowed him to kiss her. "Where to now?" he asked as he turned the keys in the ignition.

"Let's just drive up the coast and see where the road takes us," she answered, reaching for his phone as he pulled away. "Now let's see what other embarrassing songs you have on here... Do you have any Genesis or would that be a little too on-the-nose for you?” He rolled his eyes as she scrolled through his music and laughed. “I suppose not, seeing as how I just found _Judas f-ing Priest!_!” He shook his head as she squealed with delight. “Yes! Sad Wings of Destiny! My favorite! Oh, Lucifer, I'm so excited right now! Man, talk about the perfect album for the devil to own...”

He rolled his eyes again and she cupped his cheek. “Aww, come on Luc, it really is one of my all-time favorite records, and you're FAR more attractive than they depict you on the album cover, although those abs are banging... Come on, you absurdly handsome devil, let's turn that frown upside down!" She giggled as she brushed her thumb against his lips and he begrudgingly obliged. "There you go, now, that's a step in the right direction." He scoffed as her hand made its way to his shoulder and gently squeezed it. "You know as well as I do that it's physically impossible not to sing along to ‘Victim of Changes.’ Let’s see which one of us can hit the high notes best!” She hit play and turned the music all the way up as she stuck her arm out the window, letting her hand ride the waves of the wind as she nodded along to the music. Lucifer reluctantly tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, and finally gave in to her infectious joy, his voice joining hers as Rob Halford began to sing as only he can.

> Whiskey woman don’t you know that you are driving me insaaaaaaaaaaaane?
> 
> The liquor you give stems your will to live and gets right to my brain
> 
> Don’t you know you’re driving me insane?
> 
> You’re tryin’ to find your way through life,
> 
> You’re tryin’ to get some new direction…

 


	9. Chapter 9

They arrived back at Lux hours later, having topped off their adventure with a peaceful hillside sunset on the hood of his car, which led to other enjoyable things on it soon after.

Lucifer instinctively grabbed a bottle from the bar and sat down at his piano as Lynne headed towards his desk to charge her phone. He poured a drink and played a few mindless chords, then turned to her. "Fancy moving our bubble downstairs for a drink? I'd love to keep you all to myself as long as I can, but the crowd gets a little uneasy if I don't make an appearance every now and then."

“I almost forgot there was a club downstairs.” Lynne laughed as she walked over to join him on the bench. She sat on his lap and kissed him. "I'd love to join you, but…" She brought his hands around her hips and ran his fingers along the waistband of the sweatpants. "How would your reputation look if I went down there like this? And before you say it, yes, I 'need' to wear clothing in public."

“That's a shame…” He smiled as he moved in for another kiss. "I must apologize, darling, I had meant to send your clothes off to the cleaners on my way to the shops this morning but got a little sidetracked by a lovely little minx. I do have a possible solution, if you wouldn't find it too odd..."

She laughed as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Your suits are lovely, Lucifer, but they're perfectly tailored to your magnificent physique. I don’t think they're quite accommodating to a woman's form, and I’d rather not risk a wardrobe malfunctions downstairs..."

"Hmph. That sounds like a grand old time to me, but enough debating the subject. Come, now." He lifted her up over his shoulder and she giggled endlessly as he brought her to his closet and twirled her to and fro as he rummaged around behind rows of crisp shirts and suits until he found what he was looking for. "Ahh, yes, here we go." He pulled out a handful of hangers with different dresses and set her back down. "I've accumulated a bit of a collection of left-behind items over the years…"

Lynne tried not to look as appalled as she felt by the idea of wearing some random woman's clothes, let alone the thought of why he held onto them and just how many had been offered them before her. Even if he weren't the king of lust and desire, the sheer magnitude of women he must have been with over all his years… _And I was so caught up in everything I didn't even bother to…_ She suddenly felt very dirty and shuddered at the thought of how many STDs she must have contracted this weekend as a wave of regret crashed over her.

Lucifer took one look at her terrible poker face and immediately dropped the clothes and went to hug her. "What's wrong? I assure you you'll look marvelous in any of them."

“It's not that, I mean it is a little weird to wear the clothes of your past lovers, but whatever.” Lynne shuddered again as she stepped away from his embrace. "It actually just occurred to me that we didn't use any sort of protection here in our magic little bubble. I know better than that and am pretty horrified by my stupidity and what I may have just done to myself because of it."

Lucifer patted her on her shoulder reassuringly. "I must apologize for that oversight. I'm usually quite upfront about that topic, and more than willing to do so if it puts my partners at ease, but I fear I may have been too caught up in my own desire to mention it. And I didn't correct you in your rant yesterday for fear of making things worse with another excuse, but I assure you there's no chance of satanic spawn. It’s physically impossible, being different species and all..."

Lynne pulled away again, unable to shake the feeling of filth she felt from his touch now. "Oh, that's not possible on my end either anymore. Long story. It's actually the countless partners you've surely had. No offense, but you've been getting around since literally the dawn of time. It's gotta be in the millions, if not billions, and I can't help but be skeeved out by the idea of what I may have contracted this weekend."

Lucifer frowned. "Oh, right, that pesky problem humans have, dear old Dad just couldn't help but take some of the fun away from you. No need to worry, another perk of angelic DNA- I can neither contract nor carry any human diseases. I'm happy to get tested if it will give you more peace of mind though, love." He stepped in to hug her again and was pleased she didn't pull away.

"Thanks. Your word is good enough for me now, but I reserve that right in the future if I freak out again.” She sighed. “So I guess that's settled, now to find the least ridiculous dress in this pile…"

She forced a laugh as she picked up the clothes from the floor and sorted through them. _If only it was that easy to settle the other random feeling I got when I realized I'm just another notch among millions on your bedpost…_

* * *

Soon they were walking arm in arm off the elevator into Lux, Lucifer in a crisp white shirt and black suit, Lynne in a deep blue dress that she was surprised to find perfectly hugged her in all the right places, although the hemline was a little shorter than she'd prefer. Regardless, it matched her heels from Friday and looked so good on her she took a minute to look in the mirror and admire herself before they left. She walked alongside her angelic masterpiece with more confidence than she had ever imagined she could.

He guided them down the staircase and into the club, smiling and waving back at the occasional greeting from regulars as if he were the mayor and she stifled a giggle as a look of disappoint and jealousy flashed across the faces of three girls named Britney when they saw her on his arm and Lucifer declined their invitation for an orgy. He led them to the same booth she had been sitting in when they first met, and Lynne couldn't help but wonder if it was on purpose, another special gesture. She leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before sitting down.

He stopped her midway. "If you're going to kiss me, love, then _KISS_ me. My clientele doesn't frown upon PDA, unlike that little seaside shack of yours." He pulled her back up to him and kissed her deeply, tilting her backwards dramatically for added effect. "Much better, let them all have a good eyeful of us," he said as he guided them into their seats. "Perhaps it will cut down on interruptions to our little bubble."

Lynne smiled and looked around the club as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rested his hand on her thigh. "Yeah, I can already spot another half-dozen people who are quite disappointed to see you're not alone tonight."

Lucifer laughed as he leaned in to kiss her neck. "I'd invite them to join us, but I've no interest in sharing you tonight," he whispered in her ear as his lips met her skin. "Or the next…" He gently nibbled on her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine. "Or any in the foreseeable future…" His hand slowly crept up and met the hem of her skirt. "My, my, I'm feeling much more selfish than usual right now…" he murmured, his breath tickling her skin as Lynne fought the urge to open her legs to him.

 _Oh, for heaven's sake, am I seriously trying to get fingered in public? At least have a drink first, ya wench…_ Lynne gently slapped his hand away. "Careful, now, Lucifer, I think you just broke about a dozen more hearts. And I'd rather not give your 'clientele' such a revealing show just yet. If ever." She smiled as she turned to kiss him, albeit more passionately than she had planned.

* * *

A few drinks and as many failed threesome attempts later, Lynne was feeling elated as she cuddled into Lucifer, enjoying the amazing people-watching to be had while she half-listened to his conversation with Maze as they discussed how to handle a scuffle that had broken out in the line outside between some rowdy college kids. "Ugh, you won't let me have _ANY_ fun!" Maze yelled as she stomped away.

Lynne turned her attention back to Lucifer, who was shaking his head. "And you told me you don't have much experience with children…" She laughed as she squeezed his arm and kissed him. "She sounded just like Emily that time I wouldn't let her use her potty seat as a crown... Speaking of, if you’ll excuse me, I'm gonna head to the ladies’ room. I'll be back soon, try not to cause anymore tantrums while I'm gone."

“I shall try, but make no guarantees,” he said as he pulled her close for a deeper kiss. “Alright then, off you pop so I can enjoy the view as you walk away.” He slapped her ass as she got up and she chuckled as she strutted towards the restroom, turning around a few times along the way to strike a pose and giggle as he embarrassingly clapped and whistled each time. _Such a cheese ball, that devil of mine…_

A minute later, a woman slipped into the booth to take her place. He turned and looked at her. "My dance card's full tonight, I'm afraid. I encourage you to go speak to the bartender on the left, he's quite- oh, wait, I recognize you… Have we already shagged? My apologies, darling, it's hard to keep track sometimes.” He sighed as he shook his head. “I'm afraid I can't indulge you again, as I said I'm off the menu this evening, and likely will be for a while. Do go on ahead and talk to Mike, love, he'll show you a great time."

The woman laughed. "You _are_ a total babe, but I'm well aware you've been boning my friend all weekend. Good to know your eye hasn't wandered just yet, that's promising." He looked at her quizzically, and finally realized how he recognized her.

"Ahh, Marie, how lovely to see you again! I trust Tony's been fulfilling your desires since we last met?"

"Yeah, you could say that. I take it you been busy fulfilling Lynne's? Girl hasn't called me yet, and I saw you guys come down earlier so I figured I might check in while I wait for Tony's shift to end," she said as she brazenly took a sip from his glass.

"Well, you'll have to ask her, but I'd say at least a few, and some she may not have known existed until she met me." He flashed her a devilish grin as he took his glass back from her and took a swig.

Marie eyed him carefully. "Look, I know you're like LA's number one bachelor and all, and I'll try not to judge you for not even remembering who you've slept with, but Lynne's different than the other notches on your bedpost…  She's a strong woman can hold her own just fine and make her own decisions, but I know her better than you ever will. And I love her fiercely."

She took the glass back and brazenly finished it. "She may say she doesn't do feelings, and I've never known that to be untrue, but the fact that it's been 48 hours and she's still sticking around says a _LOT_. And, hey, maybe the dick really is just that good, I've heard the stories! But either way, be careful with her, and be crystal clear about your intentions. Don't you _dare_ feed her any smooth lines or lies or empty promises. She's got too much shit going on in her life and doesn't need any more drama, especially not from some fuckboy. And so help me, Lucifer Morningstar, if you hurt her in any way there'll be hell to pay." She slammed the glass on the table to emphasize her point.

Lucifer opened his mouth to respond, but saw Lynne walking back towards them and quickly plastered a smile on his face. "Ahh, here's our lovely friend coming now. I assure you I am fully aware that she is special and would never intentionally do her harm. Now let's get a smile back on your face so she can enjoy herself, shall we?"

Marie nodded and smiled at Lynne as she sat down beside her. "The prodigal daughter returns!" she exclaimed as she gave her a big hug. "Luci here was just telling me about all the fun you two have been having."

Lynne groaned. "Great, I can only imagine that conversation… But yeah, I've been having _quite_ a weekend. Sorry I haven't called yet, I've been trapped in a bit of a bubble with 'Luci' here." She laughed as she watched him roll his eyes.

“Glad to hear it, babe.” Marie turned back to Lucifer and smiled. "What do you say, Luci, why don't you go dazzle the crowd with a performance while Lynne catches me up on everything?" She gently elbowed him out of the booth.

“Well I can certainly tell when I'm no longer wanted...” He got up and readjusted his collar as he walked around to Lynne. "You ladies enjoy yourselves. Drinks are on me," he said and kissed Lynne before walking over to the piano.

Marie laughed. "Duh, like I didn't already move my tab over to his as soon as I saw you making out with him over here."

Lynne punched her arm. "You're such a creep, Marie! Just how long have you been stalking me, exactly?"

Marie laughed as she rubbed her arm. "Long enough to see you dolled up like Pretty Woman and shoving your tongue down his throat." She braced herself for Lynne's next punch.

"You're such an asshole! I love you, girl." She gave her a quick hug.

"Love you too, babe. Seriously no more than 15 minutes, I didn't want to interrupt and that bartender kinda scares me. I was gonna come over when she left, but then you got up and I just couldn't resist getting him alone for a few minutes."

Lynne rolled her eyes again. "I don't even wanna know what he told you, that man is phenomenal but he has _no_ shame…"

Marie laughed. "Nothing bad, don't worry. And you're right about that. Just look at him right now!" They turned and watched him make his way to the piano as the crowd cleared around him like a halo. The music stopped and a spotlight shone on him as he smiled proudly at the crowd around him. He shot Lynne a quick wink as his gaze passed over them and he began playing. 

Lynne couldn't help but roll her eyes, immediately recognizing the tune. "Oh my god, I can't with him right now! Is he seriously about to cover 'Kiss'? Please tell me he won't sing, I might die of embarrassment on his behalf when he tries to hit those high notes. He held his own when we were rocking out to Judas Priest this morning, but Prince is on a whole other planet of high-pitched vocals."

“I hope to hell he does, just so I can watch you squirm.” Marie laughed as she put her arm around Lynne. "He's actually quite talented though, I doubt he'll butcher it."

“That he is…” Lucifer looked over and winked at Lynne before he began to sing. "Hmm… Okay, he dropped it down an octave, this is promising… Ahh, of course he can hit them, he's an angel for-" she quickly stopped herself. 

"Oh is he now? Please, do tell. I'd love to hear all about your weekend of prayer and worship." Marie laughed as she flagged the waitress for another round of drinks.

Lynne blushed. "It has been pretty divine… I lost count of how many times I came today alone, he's just… Mmmm… incredible. But I think the most surprising thing of all is how down to earth he is. I mean, you've seen how he acts, he's so… well look at him right now, like who the fuck even does that in real life? He's just so charmingly absurd sometimes and has such a natural air of arrogance about him. And he's completely clueless about it which makes it even worse, or actually better, come to think of it. And yeah, he's gorgeous and rich and talented so of course he has no reason to lack confidence, but if you peel back those tailored suits and adoring admirers he's actually one of the most amazing guys I’ve ever met. He’s kind, honest, thoughtful, attentive, considerate, confident but not cocky, funny even when he's not trying to be… I would never have believed it if I hadn't actually gotten to know him."

Marie put her arm around Lynne's shoulders and pulled her close. "Oooooohhhhhh Lynne's in loooooooove," she teased.

"Ugh, stop, go back to 5th grade already.” She rolled her eyes. “I'm just trying to say there's more than meets the eye with him. And he's phenomenal in the sack, so I'm just trying to enjoy my time with him while I have it." The waitress returned with their drinks and she took a sip as she looked at him. "Besides, you know me, I don't do feelings. I mean could you even _imagine_ him meeting Emily?!" They laughed together at the thought, and when Lucifer blew his kisses towards her as he finished the song they doubled over in a fit of hysterics.

Marie finally caught her breath. "Oh my god, that guy, how did you make it this long without going crazy?"

Lynne laughed again as she sat up. "You have no idea, Marie. I think I went so far beyond crazy that I've circled back to sanity again." She sighed as she took another sip of her drink. "I hope this next one is just as good, I can't wait to rag on him later." She chuckled to herself again as she leaned back into cushion.

Lucifer locked eyes with her as the crowd's applause slowly faded. Instead of another cocky wink, he simply smiled at her sweetly, his hands hovering above the keys as a few requests were thrown out. He lifted his eyebrows, as if asking her opinion, and she shrugged as she smiled back at him. His eyes turned back to the piano, and a hush grew over the crowd as he began to play a few errant notes.

He leaned into the microphone. "Forgive me, but this one will have to be an instrumental version." His eyes met hers again. "I fear it might be a little too _corny_ for some people if I sing the lyrics." He smiled at her again before his eyes went back to the keys and he began playing.

Lynne recognized the melody immediately, and her stomach dropped as quickly as her heart jumped. _He's not actually playing 'Wonderful Tonight', he can't be. He'll switch to something else soon. He has to._ She couldn't tear her eyes away from him as he continued to play despite every muscle in her body screaming at her to run.

She stared at him as waves of raw emotion began to crash around her, a literal angel lost in song, softly lit by the chandelier above him. _He can't know… There's no way he could… God, if you're still listening, please tell me you aren't behind this. Please tell me someone else suggested it. I can't handle this on top of everything else and it's downright cruel to do this to me right now._

She found herself falling quickly into the agonizing spiral this song created in her heart, a raw mix of pain and love, agony and promise, security and loss, and tried desperately to hold back the tears that came flooding to her eyes.

Marie looked over and suddenly noticed how upset she was. “Oh my god, Lynne, I was just joking about you being in love, I'm sorry if I took it too far or made you face something you didn't want to right now," she said as she wrapped her arm around her for a hug. 

Lynne leaned into her shoulder and her tears began to flow freely for a minute or two before she finally pulled herself together. "It's not that, or maybe it is a little. Can we please step outside for some air?"

"Of course," Marie said as she grabbed a pen out of her purse. She wrote "girl talk, be back soon" on a napkin and lead Lynne to the exit as quickly as she could.

Once outside, she offered Lynne a cigarette. "Looks like you need this, just don't un-quit again, ok? So what's up?"

Lynne nodded and shook all her limbs out before lighting it. "Thanks, babe, you know me so well. I don't want to cry again so I'm not gonna get too much into it, but that song… Eric Clapton was one of my father's favorite musicians, and it was pretty special to us, so it just brings back a lot of bittersweet memories…" She took a drag and tilted her head back to try and force her tears back inside while she exhaled.

"Oh, Lynne, I had no idea, I'm so sorry. If I knew that I would have dragged you out here the second he started playing it." She hugged her again.

Lynne took a few deep breaths and regained her composure. "It's okay, babe, how could you have known? I rarely talk about him. It's always a gamble… Sometimes I can share stories no problem, and laugh even, but other times I'm caught off guard and something so sentimental hits me out of the blue and… It's like the dam I mentally built to survive and shove my feelings behind breaks, and I have no control over the wave of emotions that flood over me.” She sighed in frustration. “ _Fucking grief!!_ You'd think after almost 20 years I'd be ok, but _nooooo_ a stupid cheesy fucking love song pierces into my heart and breaks it wide open all over again."

Marie had no words to say but hugged her tighter. Lynne leaned into her embrace and sighed again. "You know how much I hate emotions and hate not being in control of them even more. When this shit happens other ones sneak on through and crash the party. And the fact that it was _him_ that was playing that song, that sweet beautiful romantic song, just for me? All innocent with no idea the horrible effect it would have and then watched me run out mid-stream? Ugh, I just can't." She threw her cigarette on the ground and angrily stomped it out.

Marie passed her another cigarette and broke their embrace to dig around in her purse for a lighter. "Other emotions, huh? I hate to push you when you're so vulnerable, Lynne, but it sounds like you need to talk about them right now. What other feelings broke through?"

Lynne sighed again. "I'm not in love with him by any means, but this feeling I have in my gut… it's crazy and probably just a whole new level of lust I've never experienced, but I just have this nagging feeling that there's _actually_ potential here. Like if I let myself go there with him, maybe someday way way way down the line it could be. And that scares the FUCK out of me."

Marie finally found her lighter and passed it to Lynne. "Oh babe, that's a LOT to deal with at once, no wonder you broke down back there."

Lynne lit her cigarette and took a drag. "Oh, you have no idea how many things I've dealt with since meeting him. No, nothing bad, stop- Marie don't go punch him, rein it in, mama bear." She rolled her eyes as Marie begrudgingly walked back over to her.

"Seriously, it's nothing bad at all, just some unplanned self-realizations. He's an amazing guy and has been nothing but respectful and kind and supportive… Honestly, Marie? I feel like I've known him forever. I'm just so comfortable around him, like no problem hanging around naked and swapping jokes, never have to hesitate or think before I speak, I can just BE, ya know? And so can he. I mean, we even belted out cheesy songs while driving down the coast like we were in some kind of rom-com! This weekend has just been the most natural and effortless thing in the world. It's like we're frozen in time inside our perfect little bubble.” She took another deep breath. “That's the part that scares me so much. It might be too late to stop whatever feelings I accidentally caught, and I'm afraid I'm… in too deep, to quote our favorite sappy songwriter."

Marie burst into laughter. "Ooh, let's go do Phil Collins karaoke, I know the perfect one for you to start with- 'This Must Be Love'!"

Lynne gently punched her arm. "I love and hate you so much right now, Marie. I'm not in love with him!! Although that is one of my favorites, maybe I'll listen to it next time I need to cry. But seriously… Shit there's another Philly-pie reference, that one wasn't even on purpose!"

They burst into laughter again. "Ok, but ser- real talk. Regardless of how I may feel about him, there's ZERO future there. Even if we stepped into some alternate universe where he actually had feelings for me and, even crazier, gave up the stream of lovers to be exclusive or whatever, our lifestyles are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. He'd never be happy, and I could never give him what he needs, at least not for the next 12 years. I mean honestly, can you _imagine_ him joining mommy & me movie night? Lucifer Morningstar in footie pajamas?"

They fell into a fit of laughter again, and once they recovered Marie turned to Lynne with a serious look. "Those are all valid points, for sure, and I agree that the probability of a happy ending is pretty low. But for what it's worth, I know for a fact- not personally, but I KNOW- he _NEVER_ dips into the same well more than once, and I've certainly never seen him dedicate any sappy love songs to someone, at least in the time I've been going there. I saw the way he looks at you, Lynne… Don't be so quick to write him off, or yourself. You're amazing! How could he NOT want you, boring grandma life and all? I'd say just talk to him, be upfront about what you can and cannot offer him, and see where it goes. If feelings happen, so be it. Phil and I will be there for you along with Ben and Jerry if we need to."

Lynne sighed again. "You're right. I actually accidentally babbled on to him about my whole 'no ability to have a relationship' thing over breakfast this morning, so thank god that part's done with. Now it's just the wait and see…"

It was Marie's turn to punch Lynne. "Seriously? You didn't lead with that? What did you say? What did he say?"

Lynne grabbed her hand and started leading them back inside. "It was the most awkward experience of my life and I pretty much blacked it out. But hey, he just dedicated two songs to me, so I think we're good for now? Let's go find him, we've been out here so long and God only knows what he's thinking." She smiled to herself. _God DOES know! Too bad he doesn't talk back, I could use some insight right about now..._

* * *

Lynne was relieved to see Lucifer still at the piano, playing some song she couldn't quite place, but was hauntingly beautiful and familiar, almost hymn-like. His eyes perked up as she walked past him and smiled brightly. He finished his song mid-stream and practically ran to join them back at the booth.

The spotlight shut off and house music came back on as the crowd filled in around the piano again. He slid in next to Lynne and put an arm around her. "I didn't know you smoked, love, I would have offered you one. All good gossip outside, I hope? "

She smiled and patted his arm. "I quit last year but kind of needed one just now. As for the gossip, well that's between me, Marie, and God." She winked and leaned in to kiss him. He scoffed at her teasing mention of dear old Dad, knowing full well he couldn't retort in front of her friend, but allowed her to kiss him a few moments later.

They were interrupted by Marie's theatrical gag. "Ugh, get a room already!"

Lucifer turned to her with a devilish grin. "Why thank you, Marie, that's a lovely idea. Go tell Tony he's relieved of his duties, I'd hate to leave such a lovely young lamb alone with these wolves for too long."

Marie giggled as she finished her drink. "Always the subtle one, aren't you? Have fun, Lynne. And call me when you get home tomorrow. Or else." She hugged her and walked away to find her bouncer to tell him the good news.

"Call her about what? Are you really bursting our little bubble so soon?" he asked, unable to mask the concern in his voice.

Lynne kissed him again. "I didn't get a chance to really catch her up on all the juicy details of our torrid affair, she's expecting a play-by-play recap. And yes, sadly, my freedom ends tomorrow afternoon when Emily gets home. So let's go make the most of the time we have left."

Lucifer began to ask her where Emily was and if she could just stay there a few more days, but she was already leading him by the hand to the elevator.


	10. Chapter 10

Lucifer had Lynne pressed against the wall of the elevator, hungrily exploring her mouth with his tongue, bodies humming as he ground himself against her. They were so lost in their passion they didn't even notice the ding as the elevator doors opened and, a minute later, closed again.

Lynne reached down to unbuckle his belt as he hitched up her skirt and slid his hand between her legs. He plunged two fingers inside her and curled his fingers, brushing against her walls, the sensation freezing her in place as her breath caught in her throat. He pumped inside her a few times as his thumb rubbed against her clit, eliciting another sharp intake of breath.

He pulled his hand away and brought it to his mouth. "Mmmm," he moaned softly as he licked her arousal from his fingers. "I had almost forgotten you weren't wearing anything under there. Quite convenient." He licked his lips and moved in to resume their kiss as he helped her free his almost painful erection from its cage.

"Ahh, much better," he murmured into her ear as he positioned himself against her entrance, rubbing himself deliciously against her as her breath began grow heavier against his neck and she wrapped her legs around him. "I'd love to tease you a bit more, but now I'm the one who can't wait. Besides, I think you're more than ready." He chuckled as he slid into her, eliciting a moan from both of their mouths.

He began to slowly pump into her as she laid a trail of kisses down his neck and across to his shoulder, where she bit down gently as he hit just the right spot inside of her. Neither heard the elevator ding again as the doors opened to Lux's entrance and a shocked patron stood there in disbelief. "Uh, sorry, I thought this was the exit."

“I’m afraid it’s not.” Lucifer turned his head as he continued thrusting into Lynne. "I'm a bit occupied at the moment, would you be a dear and hit the penthouse button for me?" He turned back and enveloped Lynne's mouth in another kiss as the door closed and the elevator began to whir.

They reached his penthouse again and he carried her over to the piano, stepping out of his trousers as he walked. "We best move to a less mobile place, I suppose," he said as he gently put her back down, turned her around and bent her over the lid before plunging back inside of her.

He leaned his body over hers and held her hands above her head, showering the back of her neck and shoulders with kisses as he continued his tantalizing thrusts. She squeezed his hands as she gasped in pleasure, and soon lifted herself onto her elbows as her back began to arch. He let go of her hands and moved his grip to her shoulders, holding her in place as he increased his pace, guttural sounds escaping his throat with each thrust as she widened her legs for him.

"Yes, fuck, you're so deep right now, oh my g- Lucifer!” She moaned as his balls began to slap against her clit in time with his thrusts, the added sensation bringing her to new heights. He tightened his grip on her shoulder with one hand and used the other to grab a fist of her hair. She moaned again and he pulled her head back gently, bringing her back into a full arch and his mouth against her ear. "You like that, Lynne?" he asked, his voice low and sensual as he ground himself inside her.

"Yes," she murmured as her walls began to tighten around him.

"You like it when I fuck you like some kind of devilish beast?" He wrapped her hair around his wrist and tugged a little harder as he slammed himself into her with a primal grunt.

"Oh fuck, YES," she practically screamed as she exploded around him. He slowed his thrusts as her contractions squeezed his cock deliciously. "Please, Lucifer..." She moaned again as an aftershock tore through her core and a new wave of desire pooled in her center. "I want you to fuck me as hard as you want-ohhhhh fuck, yes, right there- as hard as you can, I want you to use me as you see fit."

A devilish grin ran across his face. "As you desire," he cooed as he laid her back down and released her hair. His hands moved to her hips and he held her in place as he began to pound into her with an animalistic urgency. She desperately tried to cling to the lid of the piano for leverage as her body was shifted back and forth across it with each thrust, her wave of ecstasy beginning to crest again.

"Fuck, yes, Lucifer, I'm so close. Please, fuck me any way you want. I want to feel you shooting into me while I come." His grip became so tight on her hips she was sure there would be bruises later, but he felt so good slamming into her that she didn't care. His moans became growls as she began to fall apart around him again. "Oh, fuck, yes, Lucifer, please, fill me-" she cried out as she peaked, and felt him flood into her as he roared her name. A familiar breeze and warm glow swept through the room as she throbbed around him, milking every ounce of pleasure they could from each other as they tried to catch their breath again.

"Oh, bloody hell, not again," he muttered as he loosened his grip on her hips and slowly began to pull himself out of her.

She heard a whoosh and felt the familiar breeze again. "Stop! Don't… Not yet at least. I've been thinking I might need to see them again before our little bubble bursts so I can be 100% certain I'm truly okay with this whole revelation, and not just distracted from it and, well, there's no time like the present I guess." She slowly stood up and turned around to face him.

"Too late, I'm afraid, love," he said as he pulled her in for a hug. "Shall we discuss your reservations over a midnight snack? I'm feeling quite famished."

Lynne smiled as she laid her head on his chest and nestled into his embrace. "Nice deflection, Lucifer. But sure, let's do that."

He picked his pants up from their resting place on the floor and rummaged around for his phone as he walked towards the couch. He motioned for her to join him as he furiously tapped and typed away. By the time she got there, he had put his phone down on the coffee table and pulled her into his lap. "We've got about 25 minutes. Let's see how many different ways I can pleasure you while we wait, shall we?"


	11. Chapter 11

After a somewhat awkward encounter with the delivery guy, they were soon seated back on the couch and eating Chinese food straight from the cartons. Lucifer tried not to laugh as Lynne attempted to grab a noodle with her chopsticks before finally giving up and switching to a fork.

"So these reservations you have… Care to share them with me? I think it's only fair before I agree to anything, can't have that daughter of yours coming home to a catatonic mother…” Lucifer brought his hand to his chin as his eyebrow raised. “On second thought, perhaps I should just whip them out right now, we could use a few more days or weeks of pleasure together… Do you think whomever she's with could keep her a while longer, perhaps another year or two? Just to be safe, of course." He smiled charmingly as he moved in to embrace her.

Lynne rolled her eyes as she pushed his arms away. "Down, boy. Don't use your wings as a way to trap me in your den of sin indefinitely." She giggled as she kissed his shoulder. "I'd stay forever if I could, but sadly I have an entire life outside of this den that, believe it or not, doesn't revolve around a Morningstar." She kissed him once more before going back to her meal. "I just want as few unanswered questions lingering around in my head as possible when I leave here. I'll have enough to overanalyze as it is, even with Linda's help. I'm pretty confident that I'm cool with the whole 'God is real' thing, or at least as much as anyone can be. I just feel like maybe if I see your true form again and don't freak out, I'll at least have _some_ peace of mind and resolution to go on as I work through the rest of it."

 _My true form… Dare I go there now? Technically the wings are pretty much it these days…_ Lucifer took some extra time to chew on his food before responding. "That makes sense, I suppose, so count me in. I want to help you however I can, Lynne. Would you mind expounding on the 'everything else' bit? Perhaps I can help you in other ways before having you in other ways." He winked as he took another bite.

Lynne took a big deep breath. "I'm not sure I can actually articulate everything else right now. I'm still pretty emotionally vulnerable from earlier and I just don't want to open that dam again, I’m sorry."

Lucifer put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. "It's ok, love, I don't want to pressure you into talking about things you don't want to. Though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't incredibly curious to know why you ran out like that with Marie. Surely my song choice wasn't THAT corny, it's quite a lovely song." He laughed, convinced his joke would lighten the situation, but stopped as he saw pain instead of amusement flash across Lynne's eyes. "I'm sorry, love. I was just trying to make a joke. A very bad one. I didn't mean to push you, you don't have to-"  

Lynne interrupted him. "I appreciate that, but I do owe you an explanation, if for no other reason than to clear my conscience. I feel horrible about just running out like that." Lynne clasped her hands together and began to press her nails into her skin, an old trick she had learned to stop the flood of emotions, at least temporarily.

"It _is_ a lovely song. It's one of my favorites, actually. It just… Holds a very special place in my heart. Hearing it tends to bring up some, um, bittersweet emotions that I can't always control. And I hate not being in control of my emotions, as you've probably gathered. To top it all off, it was YOU that was playing it. It was so incredibly sweet and touching, and I just got a little too overwhelmed and the dam began to break and I just needed to escape from it all for a little bit and get my shit together while I still could. I'm so sorry, by the way. You could never have known what that song actually meant to me, divine or not, and I can't imagine what must have been running through your mind."

Lucifer squeezed her tightly. "Since we're being honest, I did see you crying. I was going to come over to console you, but then Marie saw it too and I reckoned you might need your best friend instead of your lover in that moment. I saw her write something down and immediately ran over to read her note the second you two walked outside, perhaps a little panicked- not my best look- but her note gave me faith that at least one of you would be returning, so I felt it best to resume my little concert while I waited. Music grounds me."

Lynne sighed. "Isn't music great that way? And good old Marie, always coming through in the clutch! Sorry again for putting you through that. I hate drama _almost_ as much as I hate feelings."

"Well, Lynne, I have clearly survived, so go ahead and shove that particular guilt behind that little damn of yours. In fact, toss it over to ground beside it for the beavers to drink."

Lynne giggled as she nuzzled closer into him. "Those furry little assholes don't need any rewards right now, they're taking their sweet time repairing that dam."

Lucifer kissed her head again as he stroked her arm. "I, for one, have all the time in the world to wait, so worry not, love. And if a little trickle falls out in the meantime, I'll be there with my bucket to catch it for you."

Lynne looked up at him, the quick flash of doubt in her eyes piercing into his soul, and he recalled Marie's earlier warning. "What? It's a fantastic metaphor! I assure you it's not just some smooth line I think you want to hear right now…  I meant what I said. I know you're not ready for the 'will they, won't they' mumbo jumbo any time soon and am aware there are more factors that play into your decision than I'll ever know. But know this, Lynne. Given my divine lineage, time is on a completely different spectrum for me. An entire human lifetime is a blink of an eye in perspective. So take as much or as little of it as you need, I'll still be here.  However, whenever, IF ever you want me."

Lynne sighed again. "That's sweet of you to say, and I truly believe that you mean it right now. But eternal being or not, I don't want you waiting around for me to make some huge decision, that's just too much pressure and responsibility for me to bear."

Lucifer looked into her eyes, the smallest of embers beginning to appear in his. "The last thing I want to do is pressure you, Lynne, but allow me to be the selfish one for just a moment. There's something I desire above all else that I desperately need you to fully comprehend and accept before you leave so that I can also be at peace no matter the outcome. Will you grant me one last desire before our little bubble bursts?"

Lynne nodded. "Of course. I'm so sorry. I don't mean to act like I'm the only one with feelings or a say in this decision. And I know this is immediately making it all about me again, and I'm sorry, but that's my biggest and quite frankly _only_ reservation here. I care about you.” She took a deep breath and forced herself not to break eye contact as she continued. “I care far more than I probably should at this stage, Lucifer, and that's scary in and of itself, but it's something I can manage and nip in the bud if need be. But what I can't manage? Can't even bear the thought of right now? Adding one IOTA of pain on top of the lifetime supply you already have."

She dug her nail into her palm until it almost broke the skin and looked away from him. It was the only way she could say what she needed to without breaking down again.

"Hurting you would, without a doubt, shatter my heart into a million pieces and, selfishly, I don't want to face that kind of pain EVER again in my life. It's why I desperately want to just ride off into the sunset tomorrow and never look back...” She heard him inhale deeply, the hiss of his breath on his exhale piercing into her heart and she bit her lip. “It would just make things so much easier, for both of us. We can just put a lid on whatever happened in our little bubble and move on with our lives. We could save ourselves from letting whatever this is spin out of control and wrack up additional pain and heartache along the way until we reach the inevitable end. So, yes, Lucifer 'why do I care about you so much already' Morningstar, I will fulfill whatever desire you may have. All I ask in return is that you have mercy on me and don't make this any harder than it already is by what you're about to say."

Lucifer turned her head back towards his. The embers had grown, but he didn't care at this point. _Let her see me. The real me. The devil in me. She already wants to run, so what does it matter anymore?_

"Lynne. I can't promise you that, and frankly it's not fair for you to ask me to.” The anger in his voice sent a chill down Lynne’s spine and her eyes fell to her lap as she dug her nails deeper into her palm, desperately trying to stem the flood of emotions inside her. “You want me to make your decisions for you? Fine. You need to just suck it up, look into my eyes and listen to what I need to say to you. I know _exactly_ what you'll see in them, I can feel it burning, and quite frankly I don’t care anymore.” His tone, more than his words, chilled Lynne to her very core, and her legs began to shake. “I need there to be no side of me you haven't seen, Lynne. I need you to know that I am holding _nothing_ back from you right now so you will accept what I say as the truth. You want to be selfish? Well, _darling_ , that is the ONLY decision you can make that won't cause me pain.” He grabbed her chin again and she flinched at the sting of heat she felt emanating from them. Her entire body began to tremble as she desperately tried to pull away from him, but he only tightened his grip on her. “Enough of your cowardice, Lynne. LOOK INTO MY EYES!” he growled.

Lynne nodded, and slowly brought her eyes up to meet his. His pupils were now consumed by the Hellfire within him. She should have been scared- if angelic wings that represented the good in him had shocked her so much, surely definitive proof that he was the devil should have sent her running. But it didn't. She was truly seeing into Lucifer's soul for the first time, and it spoke to hers. She held his gaze as he spoke, though her hands were still shaking.

"Lynne 'I still haven’t gotten your middle name' Gardner. I desire _nothing_ more than for you to find peace and contentment. And I will _truly_ be at peace myself no matter what that looks like as long as you find it. I can delete your number and move on with my life as soon as you walk out of here, and be okay. If you ever decide to call me, I can be causal, see you when I see you, or I can make an effort to cater to your lifestyle. I can continue to see other people, or I can not. I can do just about anything. The only thing I CAN’T do is be a source of guilt as you make your decisions. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"

Lynne nodded silently, and his flames grew even brighter. "I need to hear it, Lynne. I need you to sign this deal the devil himself has lain before you, and fully understand the consequences behind it. Do you truly accept within your heart and soul that I will be okay no matter what, as long as you are at peace?"

Lynne took a few minutes to push back the tears that threatened to fall and calm the emotions swirling around inside her mind as she stared into his flames. She took a deep breath and placed her hands on his.

"Yes, Lucifer 'I have literal Hellfire in my eyes because I'm the devil' Morningstar, I accept your deal. I hereby fully release all current and future concerns about hurting you, and I truly accept within my heart and soul that no matter what I decide to do from here on out, you will be okay."

She was surprised to almost feel a sense of relief as the words came out. _So there it is, God. I just made a formal deal with the devil. Hope we're still cool…_

The flames died out and Lucifer's deep brown pools returned along with a bright smile. "See? That wasn't so hard after all, was it? Now would you be a dear and trade boxes with me? I want to make the most of our time together, however much that may be, and that lo mein is calling my name."

Lynne couldn't help but laugh at his charming absurdity. "Oh Lucifer... You're the only person who can go from literal deal-making devil to innocent lo mein thief in one breath, and I wouldn't have you any other way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my headcanon, his devil face is gone, no longer a part of him similar to how his wings once were. I have some ideas on backstory there that I may address in future works, but in the meantime just try and roll with it the best you can =)


	12. Chapter 12

Their food long gone, Lynne found herself gazing out at the skyline as she listened to Lucifer share a story about meeting Elvis during his Vegas years. "Oh man, I'd give _anything_ to see you decked out in bell bottoms!" She laughed as she leaned into him. "Lucifer… Would you mind if I asked just one more teensy little desire to be fulfilled before we call it a night?"

Lucifer wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear. "I have a few of my own as well. Elevator again, or shall we try some place new?"

Lynne giggled. "I was actually thinking the balcony. And not for that, well, not just yet. I want to admire what's left of your night sky before the sun comes up and pops our little bubble."

Lucifer removed his arms and rolled his eyes as stood up, extending his hand to hers. "As you desire," he said reluctantly, as if he were a genie being forced to grant her wishes.

She smiled as she took his hand and they walked outside to the corner of his balcony. "You're so good to me, Lucifer, I thank you so very much for indulging me." She walked over to the railing and leaned against it, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling him in for a kiss.

She turned around in his embrace to face the sky and leaned her head back against his shoulder as she lost herself in the beauty of the stars he created, the solace they always brought her when she needed it the most, and the newfound sense of peace they brought her now, slowly quelling the onslaught of thoughts and emotions spinning in her head as she reflected on their whirlwind of a weekend. She breathed a sigh of relief when her mind finally cleared. "Lucifer?"

"Yes, darling?" he said as he rested his chin on her head.

She hugged his arms around her tightly. "This masterpiece you created up there… It's always been… And brought me…” She sighed again, unable to come up with the right words to say. “Well, just, thank you. For that. And everything..."

"You're welcome." He turned her to face him again and kissed her softly. He brought his head back and looked into her eyes, a wave of unfamiliar emotion creeping up again and warming him from the inside as he studied the reflection of his stars that were twinkling within them alongside a hint of the flames from the fireplace behind him. "Thank you, too. For everything." He pulled her close again and kissed her before she could ask what exactly he was thankful for. He didn't know the answer.

There was a new sense of lightness and ease to their embrace, as if a weight had been lifted by saying all they needed to earlier. Unhurried hands explored every inch of skin and their lips moved as one, tongues lightly brushing against each other, lost in time as they fell deeper and deeper into each other's growing passion.

An unseasonably cold wind blew up at them from below, sending a different set of shivers down Lynne's spine. She pressed closer into Lucifer's heat, unwilling and unable to break away from him right now. "Are you cold, love? Let's go inside, we’ll still get quite an exquisite view of the sunrise from just about anywhere."

"Yes, I am, but I don't want to stop touching you long enough to do that. I'll be fine." She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him. He pulled her as close to him as he could and ran his hands up and down her back to keep her warm as he melted into her mouth again. She reached down to gently cup his ass as she began to grind herself against him. He bent over slightly and moved his lips down her neck before taking her breast in his mouth, gently sucking on her nipple as she gazed up at the stars above them.

She moved her hands to the front of him and grasped his cock, giving it a few extra strokes before positioning it at her entrance, signaling what she wanted and needed from him. His hands moved to her waist and he hoisted her up against railing to enter her, desperate to feel every inch of her. The coldness of the railing against her skin caused Lynne to shiver again just as another cold wind blew up at them from below.

"Oh, bloody hell," he said and rolled his shoulders. His wings unfurled and he wrapped them around her, shielding her from the breeze and instantly sending warmth all the way through to her very core, her heart, her soul. Everywhere his feathers or skin touched hers, Lynne’s skin felt as though it was humming, and she wondered how she had ever slept through this that first morning, for it was truly an otherworldly experience.

She nuzzled into his wings as she smiled up at him. "Much better, thank you," she said before moving in to kiss him again. He smiled against her lips as he slowly ensheathed himself inside of her, and the feeling was more exquisite than ever before.

He kept to a slow, sensual pace as he plunged himself deeper with each thrust, lifting her higher and higher until she felt like she was floating on the railing. Their mouths explored each other’s in earnest as they slowly rose closer to their peaks, their bodies pressed tightly against each other, each movement of friction outside and within feeling like delicious little nips of flame across their skin. An overwhelming wave of emotion suddenly began to crash over Lynne, and she clung to him desperately.

"I'm so close, Lucifer," she murmured, her breath hot against his ear, sending chills throughout his body. Their eyes met again, and he caught a glimpse of the tears brimming in hers, threatening to engulf the stars and flames reflected in them. They pierced into his soul and he realized he could no longer fulfill his end of their bargain if this were truly the last time he ever saw his stars, his flames, his soul in her eyes.

She buried her face in his neck, unable to hold his gaze without breaking down. "I'm so close to falling, Lucifer, and I don't think I can stop it."

"I've got you, Lynne," he whispered as he tightened the hold of his wings around her. "I've got you. You won't get hurt. Let yourself go." Her mouth met his with a sense of desperation as a few tears slowly rolled down her cheek. He brought a hand up to wipe them away and looked into her eyes again. "You're safe with me, Lynne. I promise you."

He kissed her deeply and brought his hand back down, tightening his grip around her as he increased his pace inside of her. Her back began to arch as her walls closed in around him, and she felt herself begin to fall in more ways than she ever thought possible at once. His wings subtly shifted to secure her as she pressed her hands against his chest and rode him. She gazed up at his stars above as her body fully bowed, and she finally let herself fall.

Her body hung nearly upside down as she contracted around him over and over again, breathlessly calling out his name. She noticed small rays of sunshine begin to peek through the buildings, and it appeared as if they were coming down from above. Her gaze followed them as they gradually crept upwards to his wings, making them glisten as they lifted her back up and fully unfurled. The sunlight danced across each feather as they settled back into place before it journeyed up his neck and sparkled over a tiny stream that began to run down his cheek as he cried out her name and emptied himself inside of her.

She brought her lips to his again, and their bubble felt as though it had grown infinite, expanding into and beyond the skies above.


	13. Chapter 13

Lucifer awoke to the sound of an alarm ringing in the distance. He tightened his embrace around Lynne and tried to will the sound away so she could remain like this indefinitely, peacefully asleep in his arms. His powers seemed to work and the ringing slowly tapered off into silence. He smiled as he kissed the back of her head and closed his eyes again, drifting back into the warmth and comfort of their happy bubble as the world around them slipped away again.

He cursed the alarm, damning it straight to hell as it rang again a few minutes later, louder and louder with each passing second. He felt Lynne begin to stir in his arms and she sleepily turned to him. "I'm not ready to leave yet," she said softly and nuzzled into him, hugging him tight, pressing every possible inch of her skin against his. "Any chance angelic powers can stop time?"

He smiled as he ran his hand through her hair. He considered calling upon his brother and asking for a favor, but he knew it would only be prolonging the inevitable and he would be the only one who could enjoy their extra time. "I'm afraid not, Lynne. At least not in the way you'd like them to…"

She sighed heavily. "Can they at least hit the snooze button without having to move?"

His laughter rumbled through his chest and into hers. "Perhaps, but I don't believe dear old Dad took technology into consideration at the time. I shall try." He closed his eyes and squeezed her, dramatically grunting as he tried to will her phone off. "Sorry, love. It appears we’re stuck with that incessant ringing for now."

She giggled into his neck. "Thanks for trying. I'd ask you to fly us over, but I suppose that would defeat the purpose. I think it will turn off on its own soon and buy us a few more minutes. It snoozes itself once before finally giving up." She leaned up and kissed him softly.

He deepened their kiss and felt himself begin to harden against her stomach. It would be so easy to give into his desire right now and let her believe this was not the second ring, but a nagging voice inside reminded him that omission of truth was still a lie, as Lynne had so caustically made clear to him after her revelation.

She lifted her leg and wrapped it around him as she started to rub her dampness deliciously against him. He desperately wanted to let her continue, but begrudgingly placed his hand against the small of her back to stop her. "I'm sorry, love, but the next time it rings will be its last, and I don't want you to be late to meet Emily."

She moved his hand down to cup her ass as she began to grind against him again. "It's ok, I was paranoid about sleeping through it so I set another one that will go off in about 20 minutes or so. Let's make the most of it," she said as she rolled on to her back and pulled him on top of her. She spread her legs for him and wrapped them around his waist, bringing his stiffening member against her entrance as she rubbed herself against him again.

"As you desire," he said, smiling down at her before moving in to kiss her again, their mouths exploring each other’s with a sense of urgency. He reached down and his fingers found her nub, rubbing tantalizing circles around it before dipping into her and curling to brush against another bundle of sensitive nerves. She ground into his hand, relishing in the sensation, and quietly whimpered when he removed her source of pleasure.

He broke their kiss as he brought his hand up to taste her, moaning softly as her sweet nectar touched his tongue. "I want to drink from you again, Lynne," he whispered into her ear as he continued his ministrations, using his cock to massage her slit again, rubbing against her nub and nestling against her entrance before moving back again, almost torturously.

"I would love that," she murmured. "But I want you inside of me… I want to feel you come again… We don't have enough ti-" he slipped inside her and her words caught in her throat as he bumped against her core. 

"Have you forgotten how efficient I can be when I want something?" he cooed into her ear as he thrust inside her, slowing increasing his pace each time he hit against her core. His mouth moved to her neck and he licked the sensitive spot behind her ear before gently nibbling on her lobe. He grabbed a handful of her hair and tugged gently as he turned her head, his mouth trailing kisses down her neck until he reached her pulse point and began gently sucking on it.

He reached his hands around her waist to the small of her back and lifted her up as he moved to a kneeling position, curled over her as he continued sucking on her pulse and brought her back down to rest upon his knees. This new angle allowed him to hit her in just the right spot, and she inhaled sharply as a wave of pleasure shot through her. He rolled his hips, slowly grinding himself deep inside of her with each shallow thrust, and he soon began to feel her walls tighten around him. He lifted himself up from their embrace and locked eyes with her as he used one hand to hold her in place, plunging into her deeply, the other cupping around her breast and squeezing gently as he rolled her nipple between his fingers.

She tried to maintain her gaze as he brought her closer and closer to her peak, but as the pleasure rolled through her body she closed them again. "That's it, darling. Come for me." She rolled her hips against him, meeting his thrusts, and began to tremble around him as she fell over the edge, softly moaning his name.

He pulled out of her just as she began to come, and lifted her up to him, his tongue almost instantly replacing his cock inside of her and she contracted around it as she rode through her wave of ectasy. Feeling her shudders begin to subside, he pulled his tongue out and drank her sweet nectar as it poured into his mouth with nothing to hold the flood back anymore.

His cock began to throb as he tasted her, and he knew he was close to finding his release as well. He laid her back down and twisted his body as he climbed over her again, kneeling above her head and resting himself against her lips as he brought his tongue back to her center and finished lapping up the last of her juices. She parted her lips and began to swirl her tongue around his head, smiling as the salty taste hit her buds. She laved against the bundle of nerves underneath his tip, and he reflexively bucked against her.

He brought his tongue back up to her clit, and she shuddered as he pressed down on it and brought his hand to her entrance. She opened her mouth wider to take him in, licking around his length as he slid in deeper, and he slid two fingers inside of her as he licked her nub. Her sensual moans tickled against him as he massaged both ends of her bundle of nerves with his tongue and fingertips.

She struggled to concentrate on sucking him as he brought her right back to the edge of her peak. She swathed his cock with her tongue as her walls began to tighten around his fingers. Her tongue lapped against his head in a steady rhythm, and his tongue matched its increasing pace and pressure as it flicked her nub, keeping his fingers still inside of her as she clenched around them. He was right on the edge of his peak, but her mouth fell open in a silent moan and she was soon contracting around him again, her breath hot against his shaft.

He gave her a moment to recover from her high, and she was soon enveloping him with her mouth again. She relaxed her throat and he began gently thrusting himself into her mouth as he chased his peak again. She tried to keep up, but sensing he was close she let him set the pace. 

His fingers entered her once more, matching his thrusts. He increased his pace in her mouth and pushed his fingers as deep into her as they would go, plunging into her mouth and pussy deeper and deeper as his cock began to stiffen. His seed was soon coating her throat and he pulsed into her as his fingers continued their relentless pace until her stifled cries of pleasure as she came again reverberated around him.

He climbed off of her and laid next to her as they both caught their breath. She rolled over and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as it slowed, trying to memorize the sound. The beat began to be drowned out by the sound of her alarm ringing in the distance. _I'm not ready to leave him. One more snooze can't hurt…_

Lynne turned and kissed him, and they swirled their tongues together mixing the taste of each other into a delicious combination that sparked the fire inside of them once again. She moved to straddle him as they began to lose themselves in desire. Lucifer felt a desperation grow inside of him and he clung to her as she melted into him. He pulled her close, desperately trying to touch every part of her while he still could, a prayer to Amenadiel forming desperately in his head. _Just 5 more minutes with her. I need this, brother. I need her._

He kissed her once more as he waited, but his prayer wasn't answered. _I need to be strong enough for both of us_ , he reminded himself, and tried to push away the melancholy washing over him. He gently grabbed her by the waist and pulled her off of him. "I would love nothing more than to have you all to myself indefinitely, but it's time, Lynne. Sadly, reality doesn't have a snooze button and Emily needs you back soon."

She sighed deeply. "I know… and I love her more than everything, but the idea going back to reality and…" She sighed again. "It just physically hurts to think about."

"I know, my love," he said sadly as he helped her up. He hugged her once more and lifted her up, kissing her as he carried her to his closet and fumbled around for clothes. He put her down and helped her get dressed, stealing every kiss he could along the way. "Now off you pop, love, go freshen up while I get dressed and find my keys."

Lynne followed his order and looked at herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. She thought of Emily's face and it gave her strength. _You can do this. Step one back to reality…_


	14. Chapter 14

She walked out to find Lucifer throwing couch cushions around as he searched for his keys. "Ahh! Found you sneaky little buggers! You ready, darling?" he asked as he walked to push the elevator call button.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, clutching her belongings closely to herself as she fought the urge to run over to him and kiss him. She couldn't do this. She couldn't leave him. _Damnit, you were all psyched up! Step 1- go home. Follow the steps!_

She took a deep breath. "Lucifer?"

"Did you lose your keys too?" he asked as he walked back towards her. "I swear that's one of dear old Dad's little tricks, creating key-sized wormholes for his own amusement. Socks, too."

She couldn't do this. It hurt to look at him. But she knew if he came to her house, it would be too easy to invite him inside and never let him leave. _FOLLOW. THE. FUCKING. STEPS!_

"No, it's just… I think I should take an Uber…" she practically whispered.

He stopped mid-stride and looked at her quizzically before his heart began to fall. _This can't be..._ "I assure you I won't ask to come in, or even walk you to your door if you don't want me to, Emily will never see me. I was just hoping for a few extra-"

She cut him off with a raised hand. Her heart was already breaking and she hadn't even left his penthouse yet. She held back the tears that fought their way into her eyes. "I know. It's not that I don't trust you, I just… I don't trust myself. I think I'll lose my resolve if I don't just rip the bandaid off."

 _So that's it then. She's made her mind up. She's choosing to run. I bared my heart and soul to her and she's still choosing to run from me._ His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach and he couldn't hide the pain from his face any longer. _I promised her I would be okay. We made a deal. But THIS is not okay._

Her desperate plea from yesterday came running through his mind- _Have mercy on me and don't make this any harder…_ And so Lucifer found himself a loophole. _I have to be strong enough for the both of us, just a little while longer. She needs to think I'll be ok._

He took a deep breath and flashed her his brightest smile. "Very well, darling," he said as cheerfully as he could manage. He took out his phone, made a few flurried taps, and looked just beyond her ear as he spoke, unable to look into her eyes again. "Your resolve only has to hold out ten more minutes, love. I've sent you Linda's contact information. And your number is now gone." He put his phone back into his pocket, adjusted his pants, and turned towards the elevator.

Lynne stepped towards him, and he did his best to make it seem as though he hadn't seen her as he continued walking towards the elevator. He couldn't bear her touch right now. He needed to be strong enough for the both of them. He motioned for her join him as the doors opened.

She stepped inside, and neither said a word as it whirred down to the club. She wanted desperately to reach for his hand, to offer him some comfort for the pain she knew he was trying to hide from her but decided against it. _He needs me to think he's ok. He's trying to be strong enough for the both of us._ Her heart ached even stronger as she realized the selflessness he was showing her.

The doors opened and he took another deep breath before flashing her a smile and lightly taking her hand in his as he led her towards the exit. They got outside and he peered up at the street. "Keep your eyes out for a black Camry. Sometimes they pull to the corner and don't realize they can come down here… Shall we walk up to meet this Liam fellow just to be safe?" He began to walk up the alley.

"Lucifer, stop." She stood her ground and tugged on his arm.

He stopped and turned to her as nonchalantly as he could. _I need to be strong enough for the both of us._ "Yes, darling? Did you forget something? 

"Lucifer, stop acting like everything is ok. It isn't ok! You're not ok, I'm not ok, none of this is ok! Stop pretending it is! Now is NOT the time for your charming absurdity!" Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Her words pierced his armor, and he felt his resolve slowly chipping away with every tear that fell from her eyes. He desperately wanted to be honest with her and tell her he wasn't ok and join his tears with hers. But he needed to be strong.

"Lynne, darling, I made a promise to you that I would be ok, and I intend to keep it." He brought her in to him and hugged her. "I hate to play the devil card right now, but you signed that deal with me. And consummated it. Twice. I'm afraid there are no takesies backsies."

Lynne wanted to kiss him, punch him, hug him and scream at him all at once. Instead, she buried her face in his neck and cried. He held her for a few moments and let her fall apart, every tear that ran down his neck a bullet to his heart.

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close as she tried to calm herself down. _I can't completely break down. I have to follow the steps._

 _Fuck the steps!_ She leaned her head up and kissed him. At first he resisted and tried to pull away, but she got up on her tiptoes and forcefully pulled his head towards hers. Their lips finally met once more, and he kissed her back, passionately wrapping her in his embrace again.

A fresh wave of sorrow formed in Lynne's chest as she heard the car pull up. She tried to force herself to pull away from him, but couldn't, and clung to him desperately.

Lucifer pulled his head back and took a deep sigh to steady himself _. I need to be strong enough for both of us._ He gently unwrapped her arms from around him and placed his hand on the small of her back as he opened the door for her. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, to beg of her, but he simply kissed her once more on her forehead as he guided her into her seat. Neither could bear to look in the other's eyes as he closed the door and patted the roof of the car, signaling the driver to leave.

He turned and walked back inside, fighting every urge and instinct to turn and run after her, or at least catch one last glimpse as she pulled away. _I need to be strong enough for both of us right now,_ he reminded himself for what felt like the millionth time as he made his way towards the piano and sat down, staring at the keys as if they would give him strength, but they couldn't stop the wave of emotion that crashed over him. He hung his head in his hands and finally let himself drown in it.


	15. Chapter 15

Lynne tried to hold herself together long enough to confirm her address with the driver. _You haven't even gotten past step 1, Lynne. Pull it together! Emily's due home in less than an hour!_

She took a deep breath and pushed her emotions as far back as she could. "Sorry for the dramatic goodbye scene, I normally try not to be such a cliché. So, what's the craziest pickup you've had?"

She lost herself in small talk, and before she knew it she was home. She thanked Liam for the ride and headed inside. She looked around at her apartment and it looked almost foreign, as if she hadn't seen it in decades. She shook the feeling off as she made her way to her room to change out of his clothes, regretting not having the foresight to put her dirty clothes on just for the ride home, and now she was stuck with a physical reminder of him. She shook her head and buried them in her closet to be dealt with later.

She walked back to the kitchen to clean up the dishes she had left there, planning to wash when she got up on Saturday. But instead, she woke up on Saturday to her world turning upside down... _Get it together. Focus on step 2. Can't give Grandma C any more reasons to judge you…_

 She turned her speakers on and pulled out her phone for some music to drown out her thoughts. Unable to choose a particular album or station, she hit shuffle and let Pandora make the decision for her. "Three Little Birds" began playing, and she lifted her gaze upwards as Bob Marley assured her every little thing was gonna be all right, a sense of hopefulness rising up within her. _Nice one, God. Good looking out for your new pal._

Grateful for the noise and distraction, she set to work on the dishes and forced herself to dance along to the music in an effort to lighten her mood.

* * *

Lucifer pulled his head out of his hands and hit a few errant chords. He wanted to drown his sorrows in music, but nothing felt quite right. He got up and grabbed a bottle from the bar and reached underneath into his hiding spot for a pack of cigarettes and an ashtray. He took a swig of the bourbon as he walked back to the piano and set them down on the lid. He lit a cigarette and took a few big gulps, staring at the keys.

He nearly finished the bottle when the right song finally came to him. He set it back down and began to play, the chords simultaneously breaking open his heart and comforting him. He was grateful to finally be able shift some of the burden from his mind into the music. He stubbed out his cigarette and began to sing.

> How can I just let you walk away?
> 
> Just let you leave without a trace?
> 
> When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh ooh
> 
> You're the only one who really knew me at all…

              *****************************

> How can you just walk away from me
> 
> When all I can do is watch you leave?
> 
> 'Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain, and even shared the tears.
> 
> You're the only one who really knew me at all…

Lynne looked up towards Heaven again as the next song began to tug at her heartstrings. _Really? Isn't this a little too on-the-nose for you? Sorry God, and sorry, Phil. I'm not ready for another breakdown just yet. Try again after bedtime, please._

She began walking over to her phone to skip the song, but Emily burst through the front door and ran towards her. "Mommy!"

Lynne scooped her up and twirled her around as Phil's voice floated through the room.

> So take a look at me now
> 
> Well there's just an empty space
> 
> And there's nothing left here to remind me
> 
> Just a memory of your face

She hugged Emily tighter as tears began to fall. Emily giggled. "Put me down, I'm getting dizzy!" Lynne set her down gently and let go. "Why are you crying? Did you get dizzy too?"

Lynne's laughter stopped her tears. "No, boo bear, I'm not dizzy. I just really missed you and sometimes people cry when they miss someone!" _Nice save! And not one lie in there..._

Emily giggled again. "I'm right here, Mom, you don't have to miss me anymore. All better now?"

Lynne pulled her in for another hug. "Your hugs always make me feel better." She smiled as Emily ran to her room and walked over to her grandmother waiting in the doorway, who had been smiling at them but careful not to overstep or interrupt their reunion.

"Thank you, Miranda," she said as she helped her with the bags. "Truly. Thank you." Before she knew it, Lynne had dropped the bags and was hugging her. _Why am I hugging her? She hates me!_

She went to pull away, but Miranda hugged her back. "The pleasure was all mine, Lynne. We had the time of our lives with her this weekend, and I regret not doing so more often. I want that to change, if you wouldn't mind. I want to cherish every minute I can with her before it's too late and she's all grown up. She's an amazing little girl, Lynne, and it's because of you. I truly meant it when I said you're doing a great job with her."

Lynne felt tears flooding back into her eyes as Miranda handed her the olive branch she'd always wanted and did her best to hold them back. "Thank you. It means a lot to me to hear you say that, and I'm sorry I didn't make more of an effort to force the issue. I just didn't have it in me after everything and accepted the 'out of sight out of mind' approach as a means of self-preservation. But as she's gotten older, I'm realizing that it may be what's easiest for us, but not for her, and I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that. I'd be thrilled for her get to know you and your side of her family better, it would be so good for her."

Emily ran back towards them. "What's good for me?"

Miranda kneeled down and hugged her. "Coming to camp Grandma more often! You in, cupcake?"

"Duh!" she giggled as she squeezed her and began running back to her room. "Catch you on the flip side, Grandma C!"

Lynne began to apologize for Emily's rudeness, but Miranda stopped her with one last hug. "Go enjoy that little blessing of yours. I'll be in touch!"

Lynne nodded and shut the door. She began to walk over to help Emily unpack as the song continued playing in the background.

> Now take a look at me now
> 
> 'Cause there's just an empty space
> 
> But to wait for you is all I can do
> 
> And that's what I've got to face

             **********************

Lucifer's voice began to crack as he sang, but he didn't care anymore as he threw himself into the song, desperate for solace.

> Take a good look at me now
> 
> 'Cause I'll still be standing here
> 
> And you coming back to me is against all odds
> 
> It’s the chance I’ve got to take
> 
> Take a look at me now…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Against All Odds, lyrics written and performed by the one and only Phil Collins, whom I can't help but unabashedly sing along with and admire despite the ridiculous amount of cheesiness he's associated with =) 
> 
> Fun fact: I had an outline of the first chapter rolling around in my head for a while after hinting at a wing reveal in the first work, but no clue where to go beyond it. This song inspired me to figure it all out, just so I could end with a scene of Lucifer playing it at his piano all heartfelt and raw. And that, dear readers, is how this series was born!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading this far! I've got some drafts for a 3rd part floating around, but struggling to balance everything out. Hopefully one of them will see the light of day soon!


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